Shore Leave
by Lunabeegood
Summary: An exploration of the shore leaves Trip and T'Pol take over the course of the series as well as afterwards. It's AU in the sense that I place shore leave wherever I like, but I try and stick to basic story line and characterization. It's a romance ff that starts out as friendship. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This story is right after Silent Enemy in Season 1-it's part of a Trip/T'Pol romance series that looks at their developing relationship from Season 1 onwards as they go on shore leave. It's totally AU in the sense that it adheres to the basic characterization of the series but I have placed shore leave wherever I wanted it to be to make this story work. I'm not sure how many parts the series will be. All characters belong to Paramount and not infringement it meant. I make no money from this writing. Please read and review!**

XXX

Trip Tucker rushed through Union Square anxious to get to the shop before it closed. He was due to leave and visit his parents this evening and he needed to get to the Eastern European bakeshop before the damn placed closed at 4pm unlike every other business in San Francisco. But they made these cookies that his mother loved that looked like little peaches and he always tried to bring them when he visited.

He was practically running past a café when he saw a familiar pair of ears sitting at a table.

"T'Pol?" He asked.

The Sub-Commander turned to face him, surprised by the sight of him.

"Commander?" T'Pol asked, trying to compose herself.

Trip looked at her then looked towards the bake shop before checking his watch. It was 3:56.

"I'll be right back," Trip said before he sprinted towards a group of shops.

T'Pol thought he was a strange human being already, and now his behaviour seemed extra odd.

Six minutes later, he returned to her out of breath and carrying a box from a bake shop.

"Sorry about that," he said as he pulled up a chair at her table and placed the box down. "But my mama would kill me if I visited without her favorite cookies."

"You're going to visit your parents?" T'Pol asked, slightly bothered by his assumption they would be sitting together.

Trip raised his hand to call the waiter over.

"I'll have an espresso and do you have any cannoli's?" Trip asked the waiter when he appeared.

"Yes, we have Sicilian and…"

"I'll take one…no make that two, Sicilian cannoli's," Trip said with a smile. "You need to try one."

"Commander, I don't need to try…"

"Oh yes, you do," Trip smiled at her as he sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

T'Pol furrowed her brows at him; he was being awfully presumptuous sitting with her, ordering food and drink, and even ordering for her.

"You haven't answered my question," T'Pol noted.

"Oh, my parents?" Trip asked as he casually crossed his ankle over his opposite knee. "Yeah, I leave to see them tonight but the Mali Bakeshop is only open until four so I had to be quick. Been stuck in meetings all day and barely made it here in time."

"Their business closes early," T'Pol noted before she reached for her tea.

"Mom and Pop operation, the couple that owns it is almost a hundred years old, but my mama likes these little peach cookies they make," Trip explained as he gestured toward the box. "I guess they figure they'll close when they feel like it."

T'Pol nodded and said nothing.

"What are you doing outside the Vulcan Compound?" Trip asked her.

"I…" suddenly T'Pol stopped. Her reason was not logical; she had found the Compound to be oppressive and needed to get away from it.

Trip narrowed his eyes at her and said nothing.

"I decided to go for a walk and get some exercise," T'Pol said. "This café had refreshments."

"It's a nice café," Trip said as he looked around. "Have you been here before?"

"No," T'Pol said as she looked toward the table. "I just came upon it."

Trip folded his arms across his chest and looked up at the sun.

"Ahh, that feels nice on the skin," Trip smiled.

"Do you have a protectant spray on? With your fair colouring…"

"Yes, I'm wearing sunblock, mom," Trip joked.

"Why would you call me that?" T'Pol asked, affronted.

"It was a…"

"Your espresso," the waiter said interrupting him as he placed the small cup and a plate with two pastries down between them.

"Thank you," Trip said before the waiter left. He reached for his drink and took a small sip before she saw contentment pass across his features.

"Why would you call me mother?" T'Pol insisted.

"It was a joke, come on, T'Pol, you know I don't think of you as my mother," Trip sighed.

"Are you going to tell your mother about the child you carried?" T'Pol asked him, trying to get the topic away from her age; it had been an obsession of his, it seemed.

"Uh, that's not really my choice at this point," Trip stammered. "It's been on the news."

"I forgot," T'Pol noted.

"After the fifteenth scientist interviewed me, it's kinda hard to forget," Trip mumbled.

"Your psychosis in the caves?" T'Pol inquired.

"I'd rather not worry my mother even more," Trip shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You talk to your parents about P'Jem?"

Then it was T'Pol's turn to shift uncomfortably.

"As you are aware, it was also in the news," T'Pol said, clearing her throat.

Trip immediately felt sorry for the question; he was just trying to get the spotlight off himself. They both sat silently for a moment and then Trip noticed the cannolis.

"Now, you have to try this," Trip said as he picked up a cannoli and took a bite, trying to change the subject.

"There are no utensils," T'Pol said as she looked toward the other table to ascertain it there were any nearby.

"I know you are not fond of eating with your hands," Trip said. "But a cannoli is eaten with your hands."

"Humans have a great affinity for eating many things with their hands," T'Pol said, eyeing the cannoli with disdain.

"Just pick it up," Trip said, leaning in to whisper to her. "I won't tell anyone."

T'Pol shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't like the challenge or the conspiratorial tone of his voice.

"T'Pol, you're on Earth, not in the Vulcan consulate," Trip said as he pushed the plate toward her another inch. "This is a delicious dessert and we eat it with our hands."

T'Pol tentatively reached for the dessert and delicately picked it up with two fingers. She watched the smile play across his lips at the sight. She brought the dessert to her mouth and took a tentative bite. The icing sugar spilled slightly onto her chest and she allowed the cream filling to sit on her tongue before she began chewing.

"Like it?" Trip asked with a grin, taking a bite of his own.

She did. The play of crunchiness, the soft cheesy filling and the sugar sweetness was a nice combination. She didn't like the mess it created on her fingers or her person, but it was a compromise, she supposed, for the dessert.

"It is acceptable," T'Pol nodded before she placed it back down on the plate. She wanted to eat the rest, but that was illogical. She only needed to taste it, not devour it.

"Acceptable?!" Trip snapped with his mouthful of the dessert. A piece of the casing dropped onto his lap.

"Please desist from talking with your mouth full of food," T'Pol said annoyed.

Trip chewed and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

"Acceptable?!" Trip asked, annoyed, he reached for a napkin to wipe his mouth.

"It is an acceptable dessert that is, I would estimate, 150 calories and about 8 grams of fat," T'Pol said as she pushed the plate away slightly.

"You're not going to eat the rest?" Trip asked, surprised. "Afraid you won't fit into your Vulcan uniform?"

T'Pol stared blankly at him.

"Well, I'm not letting that go to waste," Trip said as he reached for the cannoli and bit into it.

T'Pol looked away. The idea of sharing food was still repugnant to her.

"What are you doing for the remainder of your leave?" Trip asked her as he finished off her cannoli.

"I am working on a project with Dr. Moul back at the Vulcan compound," T'Pol explained.

"Sounds like a great vacation," Trip mumbled.

"He and I have similar ideas about bio-toxins and their effect…"

"You've mentioned him before," Trip said as he eyed her carefully as he finished his espresso. "He your new boyfriend?"

"I'm sorry?" T'Pol asked.

"You have spoken about him a few times, you spend your vacation with him, you're no longer betrothed to that guy back on Vulcan…"

"I have no romantic relationship with Dr. Moul," T'Pol said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "We are merely colleagues. As you and I are."

"You don't spend your vacations with me," Trip said as he waggled his eyebrows at her before he called the waiter over for the cheque.

"No, I do not," T'Pol agreed.

Trip reached for the bill as it was placed on the table and T'Pol did as well, their hands touched and she pulled back as if scorched. The electric shock of him stunned her.

"A gentleman always pays," Trip reminded her. "It's my treat."

T'Pol thought that the answer he supplied was ridiculous. He had merely planted himself at her table, ordered food and drink and had forced her to try a dessert. There was nothing planned about the encounter, nor was it questionable under the fraternization policy.

"Commander, I can pay for my own…" T'Pol started.

"No, I've got it," Trip said as he placed money in with the cheque and stood to hand it to their waiter.

"Then allow me to reimburse you for…" T'Pol said as she reached for her wallet.

"T'Pol," Trip said as he reached for his box of cookies. "My treat means just that. My. Treat."

"Fine," T'Pol resigned herself to his overture. "Thank you, Commander."

"You're welcome," Trip said with a slight bow. "Sorry I can't stay and chat, but I've got a shuttle to catch."

"Enjoy your stay with your parents," T'Pol bowed her head to him as well.

They parted and walked in opposite directions to spend the next two weeks apart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: This story is right after Carbon Creek in Season 2-it's part of a Trip/T'Pol romance series that looks at their developing relationship from Season 1 onwards as they go on shore leave. It's totally AU in the sense that it adheres to the basic characterization of the series but I have placed shore leave wherever I wanted it to be to make this story work. I'm not sure how many parts the series will be. All characters belong to Paramount and not infringement it meant. I make no money from this writing. Please read and review!**

XXX

"A toast to the crew of Enterprise!" Admiral Forrest said as he raised his glass of champagne and saluted the crew in front of a huge audience. "One year in space and many more to come!"

The crew, who stood behind him, raised their glasses with the audience.

"To the Enterprise," the audience saluted with their own champagne glasses.

"You're drinking?" Trip whispered to T'Pol as he leaned into her slightly after she'd taken a drink.

"It would be impolite to refuse on such an occasion," T'Pol suggested.

"True," Trip agreed.

"How long do we have to stand up here on display like animatronic mannequins?" Malcolm asked from the other side of Trip.

"Just keep smiling, Mal," Trip said with a plastered grin on his face.

"The celebration is scheduled for another forty-one minutes," T'Pol said as she waved at the crowd, slightly robotic.

"Forty minutes too long," Trip mumbled.

"Are you coming to Hoshi's after this?" Malcolm asked Trip.

"Of course, you?" Trip asked him.

"Wouldn't miss it," Malcolm chuckled.

"T'Pol?" Trip asked her.

"I was asked, but decided it was not appropriate as I am a senior officer," T'Pol noted.

"Even the Captain is coming," Trip hissed.

"I am not comfortable with…" T'Pol started.

"She told Hoshi 'no'", Malcolm added.

Trip turned and faced her fully. "You're coming."

"Commander, I…"

"You are trying to learn about humans, are you not?" He asked. "I don't know a better way to learn about them then at a party."

T'Pol said nothing in return.

"You're coming," he said placing his hands on his hips. "I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

Everyone turned to look at the Admiral again as his voice rose above the crowd.

"And this time next year, we will be celebrating the launch of Columbia," he announced. "Please join me in welcoming their crew!"

Everyone turned to look at another group of Starfleet crew standing nearby.

"Enterprise 2.0," Trip mumbled under his breath.

"Excuse me?" T'Pol asked.

"New and improved," Trip clarified.

T'Pol nodded.

"They're coming as well," Malcolm said with a nod to the Columbia crew.

"Really?" Trip asked, intrigued as he eyed a few female members of the crew. "Nice to know."

T'Pol followed his line of sight and realized what he was thinking.

"They seem to have a higher female crew compliment then Enterprise," T'Pol noted.

"That they do," Trip chuckled as he elbowed Malcolm.

Thirty-nine minutes later, T'Pol had counted nine women, most from the Columbia crew, that Commander Tucker had spoken to at length. She was near him on three of these occasions and noted that his level of pheromones had risen substantially around two women in particular; Lieutenant Lozono and Ensign Horvath. Lieutenant Lozono was petite, with long black hair pulled into a loose bun, a fit body and an infectious laugh. Ensign Horvath was tall, lean, blonde, slightly severe in nature and quite clearly sure of herself. T'Pol saw no co-relation between these two women that drew his rise in pheromones, except that they were both female and Starfleet officers. Many of the women in the room also met these requirements but didn't seem to garner his interest.

"Fascinating," T'Pol muttered to herself.

"Sub-Commander, I hear you are coming to my parent's home?" Hoshi Sato inquired as she stood before T'Pol and blocked her view of Trip and Ensign Horvath sharing a quiet word.

"Yes, I thought it would be a nice opportunity to observe human behaviour," T'Pol said.

"Uh, sure," Hoshi nodded. "We're all leaving soon. Do you want to drive with me?"

"Yes, that would be prudent as I do not know where your parent's home is," T'Pol nodded.

"Okay, give me five minutes to round up a few others and then we'll go," Hoshi said before she scurried off.

One hour and fifty-two minutes later T'Pol was standing in the midst of a Starfleet party in full swing. Captain Archer was asked to join dignitaries after the celebration at Starfleet Headquarters, a fact she wasn't privy to until she'd already been taken to the party. Otherwise, she would have stayed with him.

Several people were playing instruments together (a little louder than she would have liked) others were dancing, others standing around talking, and more people were outside by the firepit having discussions and laughing. T'Pol had made sure to only drink the 'punch' as Ensign Sato had aptly named it, as alcohol did not sit well with Vulcans, and she'd already had almost a full glass of champagne at the event. She had felt her control slip slightly after the champagne but had felt she'd compensated well.

It wasn't until another two hours later, when she stumbled walking out the glass doorway that the Sub-Commander realized the champagne was affecting her more than she realized. She'd been observing Commander Tucker and the two women who garnered most of his attention throughout the evening. He sat with Lieutenant Loronzo for quite some time, his arm across the back of her chair and their conversation seemed pleasing. They laughed a lot together, exchanged brief touches, and he demonstrated his musical abilities by playing the harmonica with the other musicians present. He spent time with his friends from Enterprise, even checked in on her a few times, and then eventually ended up talking to Ensign Horvath in a quiet corner of the backyard. They seemed deep in conversation and they both leaned into each other to the point that remaining upright must have been an issue.

T'Pol decided to get another glass of punch to help quell the alcohol in her system. Truthfully, the water in Ensign Sato's home was not distilled and had a fluoride after taste. As much as she didn't like the excess calories or the high sugar content, the punch was, at least, tasty. T'Pol leaned against the gate to the vegetable garden and felt it give slightly behind her, her reflexes seemed to be problematic because she didn't catch herself before she fell backwards with a 'thump'.

"Sub-Commander?" Ensign Mayweather asked as he moved quickly to her side to assist her.

T'Pol suddenly felt sick to her stomach and dizzy all at once. Her legs were not behaving as she tried to rise and it felt like the Ensign was speaking to her in a tunnel.

"T'Pol?" Trip asked as he stepped into her field of vision with Ensign Horvath by his side.

He reached down and pulled her quickly to her feet; the motion was too much for her stomach and she vomited down the front of him.

A series of gasps came from those around her and she felt herself starting to fall again, except this time it was forward.

Someone stopped her with his frame and kept her from hitting the ground. He smelled like Trip.

"Have you been drinking?" Trip asked her as he hoisted her up to his eye level.

She immediately smelled her own vomit on the two of them and felt she may vomit again.

"I apologize for…" T'Pol began.

"Have you been drinking?" He asked as he held her by the shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes.

"Only punch," T'Pol muttered before her head lolled forward.

"Punch?" Trip questioned. "How many glasses?"

T'Pol felt as if she was falling asleep.

"T'Pol!" He shook her hard.

"Yes?" She asked, her head snapping upwards.

"How many glasses?!" Trip demanded.

"Trip…" Ensign Horvath groaned.

"T'Pol!" Trip called to her as her eyes started to close again.

"Four point three," T'Pol said.

"Fuck," he swore under his breath before he lifted her up and started to carry her in to the house.

Her head lolled back over his arm and she could see Ensign Horvath walking behind them, annoyed.

"Please put me down," T'Pol implored him.

"In a minute, once I get you away from everyone," Trip said as he huffed. "I think you've already embarrassed yourself enough for one night."

They walked through a door, down a hallway and into another room. She could hear Trip talking with Hoshi briefly but couldn't decipher what they were saying. Hoshi was giggling and then it was quiet.

"Can you get the door?" Trip asked someone before he deposited her on a chair and held her there by the shoulder.

"We're going to get you cleaned up, get some water into you and get you sober," Trip said as he looked into her eyes.

"I have only drank one glass of champagne," T'Pol offered. "I think someone put a hallucinogen into my drink."

"You had five glasses of punch," Trip said as he looked at her concerned.

"Four point three," Ensign Horvath corrected over Trip's shoulder.

"Can you help me get her out of these disgusting…" Trip started.

"I am not comfortable undressing a senior officer," Ensign Horvath said with a thick accent.

Trip dropped his head to his chest and sighed. "Can you look for…for Ensign Cutler…or Ensign Hess and send them back here?"

"I will try," Ensign Horvath said with little conviction. "Maybe I'll see you around?"

Trip nodded and then looked back toward T'Pol.

"Hoshi is drunker than you, but I sent her for some fresh clothes, hopefully…" Trip sighed.

"Why were you drinking so much?" Trip demanded.

T'Pol looked at him confused.

"The punch?" Trip asked. "The four glasses?"

"It was punch," T'Pol said plainly. "It's got a high sugar content, but I find the water in this neighborhood too high in fluoride."

"It's vodka punch T'Pol," Trip said. "Forty proof."

T'Pol looked at him confused. "Alcohol?"

"Yes, why do you think you're drunker than a skunk?" Trip asked, annoyed.

"I thought a hallucinogen…" T'Pol said.

Trip chuckled and then the smell of her vomit caught him and his nose scrunched up.

"I guess we both need to get cleaned up," Trip said as he stood and walked over to a set of drawers. "We'll see what Hoshi's brother has for me."

"I drank four point three glasses of alcohol and the champagne," T'Pol muttered to herself disbelievingly.

Trip pulled out a pair of long lose Hawaiian shorts and the largest t-shirt he could locate. He really wasn't sure if either would fit him, but it was the best he could find. He looked back towards the door and sighed, Hoshi may have forgotten to get clothes for T'Pol at this point.

"Let's see what we can dig up for you," Trip said as he found another pair of shorts and held them up for her to see.

"I'm going to be…" T'Pol said as she rushed toward the washroom that was attached to the room and, finding the toilet, vomited into it.

She heard water running and then felt the cold slap of a cloth on the back of her neck and his hand rubbing circles on her back as she emptied her stomach contents again and again.

"Just get it all out," Trip said softly.

When she started to only cough up bile she felt a moment of relief then, her head felt like it was going to explode.

"Owww," T'Pol cried as she held her head in her hands and tried to curl up into a ball.

Trip walked out of the washroom and into the bedroom, returning moments later with a glass of water he placed in front of her face.

"Drink the entire glass," Trip ordered as he stood next to her.

T'Pol took the glass and swallowed half the glass before she started to gag. The floride taste was making her feel sick again.

"Drink it all," Trip ordered.

"I can't," T'Pol groaned.

"Drink it, T'Pol," he said sternly.

She complied and choked on the last bit spitting some onto the floor.

Trip stood with his hands on his hips and looked back toward the door. He finally decided no one was coming.

"Do you think you're going to be sick again?" Trip asked her as he looked down at her sitting with her knees pulled into her body.

T'Pol shook her head in the negative.

"Is there anything about Vulcan physiology and alcohol that I need to know?" Trip asked. "Should I contact Phlox?"

T'Pol shook her head vehemently in the negative.

"Fine," Trip sighed as he ran a hand across his forehead. This was not how he planned to spend his evening. Ensign Horvath was leaving in the morning and he'd probably never have the chance to spend an evening with her again. Just as they were starting to…

"I think I'm feeling better," T'Pol mumbled.

Trip reached out a hand and hauled her back up.

He steadied her on her feet and absently reached for a towel hanging on the bar, wet it, and handed it to her so she could wipe her face.

T'Pol relished the cool feel against her skin, but the pounding in her head failed to stop.

"I'm just going to get out of…this," Trip said as he gestured to his soiled uniform.

She watched him walk from the room and looked at herself in the mirror. There was a fine sheen of sweat on her brow, her skin looked grey and her eyes were orange looking.

She turned and looked into the other room. Trip was standing in his underwear trying to pull a t-shirt over his head. She felt a wave of nausea again and suddenly grabbed the door frame to keep herself from falling. Trip turned and looked at her startled; he saw the look of horror on her face and immediately ran to her and braced her against the wall before she fell.

"Come on," Trip said as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Let's get you to the bed."

He walked her to the bed and gently helped her lay down. The ceiling spun overhead and T'Pol closed her eyes tight. It felt worse.

"Don't close your eyes," Trip cautioned. "It'll just make it worse, hon," Trip said as he pulled on the shorts and failing to snap them at the waist, tied the drawstring and pulled the tight t-shirt over the gap at the top of the shorts.

"Luckily all my bulk is in my upper body or I'd have to go looking for one of Hoshi's skirts," Trip chuckled as he placed his hands on his hips.

He looked down at T'Pol and frowned. She was a disaster. Her hand was covering her eyes, her hair was a mess, she had smeared vomit down her uniform and…was she missing a shoe? Trip looked to the door and tried to come to a decision. He could go out and search for Lieutenant Hess or Cutler, leaving her alone, or he could just help her get into some clean clothes. Vulcans wore underwear right?

"T'Pol, let's get you changed," Trip said softly as he reached down and took off the one shoe she was still wearing.

"I'm fine," T'Pol said, her voice sounding suddenly ragged.

Trip removed the hand from her eyes and saw tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Now he knew he couldn't get anyone else, the emotions she was exhibiting would be the end of her.

"Come on," Trip sighed as he hauled her somewhat upright and looked around for the zipper to her Vulcan uniform. "You know for a culture so repressed, you sure show off your…assets."

T'Pol said nothing and wiped at her eyes.

Trip unzipped the top and started to slide it down her arms, noting the undershirt thankfully covering her breasts.

"Small mercies," Trip muttered to himself as he shimmied her out of the garment.

T'Pol cried and, with one leg still in her uniform launched herself out of the bed to vomit, yet again in the toilet.

Trip followed the same protocol; cool cloth on neck and circles rubbed in the back until she nodded her head and he helped her stand.

"Let me just get this," he said as he yanked the trailing suit from her one leg and helped her step out of it. He walked her gingerly to the bed and sat her down. Carefully pulling the shorts and t-shirt on her, Trip finally sat on the bed next to her, exhausted by his efforts and took a moment to just sit.

"Darlin, you have just made an interesting evening even more interesting," Trips aid as he tapped her knee. "How do you feel?"

"Not well," T'Pol whispered as more tears started to fall. "Don't let anyone see me like this."

The pleading in her voice is what broke him. Trip frowned and took a deep breath before he spoke.

"You lay down and I'll stay right here to make sure you are safe," Trip said, standing to pull back the covers to the bed for her.

T'Pol nodded weakly and crawled under the covers, placing her head on the pillow.

Trip nodded for her to move over toward the wall the bed was against.

"You have to lay on your side so you don't choke on your own vomit," Trip said.

T'Pol shimmied over and Trip sat down on the bed resting his back against the headboard and crossed his feet at the ankles, coming into a relaxed posture. T'Pol watched him look on the side table for something to read and finally settled on what looked like a business textbook.

"I'm sorry," T'Pol said as she lay on her side and looked up at him. The room was still spinning and she still had no control over her emotions. "You appeared to be having a good time."

"I was," Trip chuckled.

"Will you see Lieutenant Loronzo or Ensign Horvath again?" T'Pol asked, surprised by her line of questioning.

"Nah, probably not for a long time," Trip said. "It's fine though."

"I have monopolized your shore leave," she huffed as fresh tears made it down her cheeks.

"Nah, don't say that," Trip said. "You probably saved me from an uncomfortable and complicated end."

T'Pol looked at him confused and said nothing. She settled into the pillow willing her head to stop pounding and the room to stop spinning. Finally, sleep took her.

Several hours later, she woke to the gentle rise and fall of Trip's stomach. Her head ached and her stomach muscles were sore, but she could feel her emotional lapse had receded.

T'Pol lifted herself up off Commander Tucker and looked up at him; they had both slid down during the night and his arm was wrapped around her back. She looked at the strange tight clothes he was wearing. They weren't done up at the waist.

She then looked at her own clothes and remembered him ripping her uniform back from her right leg and her kicking it to the side. She remembered Trip telling her the punch was alcoholic and asking her how many glasses she'd consumed.

Then she froze. He'd undressed her, yes. He'd helped her while she vomited. He had comforted her. But then she realized he'd seen her emotionally out of control. She had cried in front of him, sobbed, in fact. Begged him to not let anyone else see her this way.

T'Pol closed her eyes. How could she ever look at him again? Would he look at her with pity for the rest of their mission? Would he see her as…?

"You smell like you've slept in a sewer," Trip groaned as he rolled away from her. She looked down at him confused, she thought the offensive smell was him, not her. "I think I saw some toothpaste in the washroom. You may want to take care of that before we have to shuttle pod up to Enterprise together."

T'Pol placed a hand in front of her mouth and breathed hard. The smell that wafted back at her was horrid.

"I apologize," she said as she slid down to the end of the bed and walked toward the washroom.

"Commander," T'Pol said as she stood before him. "I appreciate your care for me last night. If I was…"

"That's what friends do," Trip groaned as he flopped more heavily on his pillow. "I don't remember much myself."

"You had…you had been drinking as well?" T'Pol asked him, confused as she searched her fuzzy and spotted memory for some indication.

"I have been barfing all night too," Trip said into the pillow. "I'll give you another 10 minutes and then I need to get up so we can get on Enterprise."

T'Pol nodded. Apparently, her secret was safe. The Commander was not acting surprised by her behaviour and he was treating her no different then usual. There was no pity, not call for shame in his voice. He had either not noticed her crying or had such a foggy and spotted memory of the night that he didn't trust any remembrance he may be able to access. T'Pol sighed with relief and walked into the washroom to brush her teeth.

Trip smiled into his pillow; he hadn't had a drink all night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: This story is right after Canamar in Season 2-it's part of a Trip/T'Pol romance series that looks at their developing relationship from Season 1 onwards as they go on shore leave. It's totally AU in the sense that it adheres to the basic characterization of the series but I have placed shore leave wherever I wanted it to be to make this story work. I'm not sure how many parts the series will be. All characters belong to Paramount and not infringement it meant. I make no money from this writing. Please read and review!**

 **XXX**

"I can't wait to see my family," Trip said to T'Pol as they walked through the hall in the direction of their quarters.

"You didn't see them last shore leave," T'Pol noted, remembering her embarrassing evening imbibed.

"We only had 24 hours and well, I spent most of that with you," Trip chuckled.

"As I have said before, I apol…"

"Think nothin' of it T'Pol," Trip chuckled as he light-heartedly banged his shoulder against hers.

"Well, I am happy you'll have the opportunity to see your family," T'Pol nodded when they reached her quarters.

"My dad and I have plans to do some fishing," Trip said with a smile. "What do you and your dad do together?"

"My father died when I was in university," T'Pol stated simply. "We did little together."

"I'm sorry T'Pol, I didn't know," Trip said quietly.

"You couldn't have known," T'Pol said as she met his eyes.

"I guess you get to see your family even less then I do, huh?" Trip asked as he looked at her carefully.

"It's only my mother and myself. She spends most of my shore leave at the university working. My family is…distant." T'Pol stated.

"Sounds kinda lonely," Trip frowned.

"It is…orderly," T'Pol hesitated.

"My family is not one bit orderly," Trip said with a chuckle. "You should see the…"

T'Pol raised an eyebrow at his stoppage.

"You should see them," Trip said as he looked at her funny. "T'Pol I want to invite you to visit with my family for a few days on shore leave. Will you?"

T'Pol was taken aback, despite her will to mask her surprise.

"Stay with your family?" T'Pol asked.

"You have worked with humans, partied with humans, and had conversations with humans but you've never been to a human family reunion," Trip said. "Mine is this weekend and you are welcome to join us."

"But I am not part of your family," T'Pol said confused.

"No, but everyone else is related somehow," Trip smiled. "You'll get a chance to see the Tuckers up close and personal and witness…the unique generational bond of human families."

"It would be invaluable research," T'Pol noted. "This weekend? Where would I stay?"

"Of there's always room for one more," Trip said with a smirk. "There will be family all over the place, I even think a few are bringing their trailers."

T'Pol wasn't sure what the significance of the trailer was but she would find out from the database later.

"Thank you Commander, I will be pleased to attend," T'Pol nodded before she went into her cabin and the door shut behind her.

Three hours after they arrived on Earth, T'Pol had changed into a sundress, Trip into shorts, they had purchased some whisky and flowers for his mother. They were walking up a slight grassy slope with to get into his family yard when T'Pol started to wonder if she'd made a sound decision.

"They may try and hug you," Trip warned her as they neared the crest of the hill. "But most know not to hug a Vulcan, but there may be some handshaking."

"I am prepared for their greeting," T'Pol said with a nod.

"Trip!" Someone yelled as they spotted him the moment he appeared.

"Trip!" many others yelled in unison moments later.

T'Pol looked out into the crowd. From the number of vehicles parked in the area, she assumed thirty to forty people. What she found was almost a hundred people of various ages and races having a large BBQ and picnic in a beautiful yard that backed onto a pond.

A surge of people moved toward them and T'Pol found herself, uncharacteristically, grabbing onto his arm and moving closer to Trip.

Trip was acutely aware of her touch and looked at her surprised. He saw fear in her eyes and immediately placed a warm hand over hers and placed his body slightly ahead of hers to block any hugs.

Many men approached Trip and gave him one-armed hugs, back slaps and hand shakes. The women hugged him tight against his frames and often kissed him on the cheek. He introduced her over and over again to all who approached as 'Sub-Commander T'Pol of Vulcan.' Most people bowed slightly at the waist, some shook her hand, none, thankfully, hugged her. All looked to be in a state of mild shock.

"Charlie!" an older woman called as she pushed through the crowd.

"Mama?" Trip called out to her and looked for her.

"Charlie!" the older woman yelled as she launched herself at Trip and hugged him fiercely.

"Hi mama," Trip said, his voice muffled by her vice-like grip on his neck.

"You're later than we expected you," his mother said as she held his face in her hands.

"We had to pick up a few things," Trip said as he looked toward T'Pol. "Mama, this is T'Pol of Vulcan. T'Pol this is Elise Tucker, my mother."

The older woman looked at her surprised, she hadn't noticed T'Pol she had been so focused on her son.

"Oh my, nice to meet you," the woman said as she extended a hand. "Trip has told us about you, well, the entire crew."

"Thank you for having me in your home," T'Pol nodded and handed her some flowers.

"How…how lovely," Elise Tucker stammered and looked at Trip confused.

"T'Pol is coming for the weekend, then she's heading back to Starfleet," Trip explained with a smile. "That's okay, right?"

"Of, of, course," Elise stammered. "I just wasn't…"

"That my boy?!" A voice yelled from the side.

"Hey daddy!" Trip said as he stepped away from T'Pol and went to hug an older man.

He then started hugging everyone and T'Pol lost sight of him. She felt some panic surge through her, it was hard to remain calm with this many strangers, although friendly strangers, surrounding her. The women and men around her started to ask questions about Trip and T'Pol shifted uncomfortably. She didn't have the answers they sought. She had no idea how long he was staying here, what his plans were, or if he was going to the high school fundraiser.

"How about you help me put these in water?" Elise Tucker asked T'Pol kindly.

T'Pol nodded and left with the kind woman.

"So, you came here with Charlie?" Elise asked as she rinsed out a vase. T'Pol was handed a pair of scissors and she started to cut the bottoms of the flowers.

"Trip invited me to join him this weekend," T'Pol said honestly.

"And you two have been working together for almost two years now?" Elise asked, the inflection of her voice apparent; curiosity.

"Yes," T'Pol said as she snipped the ends off the flowers.

"He always loved adventure," Elise sighed. "I guess that extends to all aspects of his life."

T'Pol wasn't sure what she meant but decided silence in this situation worked.

After her respite with Elise Tucker, T'Pol felt ready to face the crowd again. She walked out onto the back porch and immediately felt the eyes of several young men on her. She had not been entirely comfortable with the sundress she'd purchased, or several other items of clothing Trip had suggested. This sundress had very small sleeves, was barely lower than the knee, and was made of a thin material that seemed almost indecent. But, as she looked around the BBQ she had to admit he was correct, she spotted many young females wearing this attire and immediately felt comfortable with her choice.

"You work with Trip?" a young man asked. "I'm his brother Jake, and that's my wife and kids over there trying to catch frogs."

T'Pol followed his sightline and spotted a woman with two small children crouched by the water.

"I do," T'Pol nodded.

"Would you like a beer or something else to…?"

"Water would be satisfactory, thank you," T'Pol said kindly.

Jake left her in search of water and T'Pol stood and observed Commander Tucker with his family. There was already a beer in his hand and a large group of people surrounding him and vying for his attention. Everyone seemed to have a story to share or something to ask him. She smiled inwardly, it was like being the biggest celebrity in your own family.

He met her eyes across the yard and hoisted his beer in the air, a questioning look in his eyes.

She nodded, she was fine and he went back to his conversations.

Hours later, many uncomfortable conversations, one drunk flirtatious cousin and some lovely potato salad, T'Pol found herself following Trip down the hall to a bedroom upstairs. He had both their travel bags hoisted over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, my mama thought we'd be fine together," Trip said slightly embarrassed. "I'll take the floor and you can take the bed."

"How small is the bed?" T'Pol asked, interested.

"Uh, unless she's changed it, bigger then the bunks in our quarters," Trip estimated.

"Then we should be fine to share, Vulcans move very little in their sleep," T'Pol noted as they reached the door that said Charlie on it.

"Your childhood room?" T'Pol asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, she hasn't taken much out of it, I'm afraid," Trip said with a sigh as they stepped inside.

"Who's there?" A young voice called out.

"Hugh?" Trip asked the voice in the dark.

"Yeah, me and Martin are on your floor," Hugh said from a spot next to the bed. "There's no where else."

"Great," Trip said as he turned to face her. "My cousin's two boys are sleeping on the floor in my room."

"I ascertained that," T'Pol said deadpan.

"Here," Trip said as he handed her bag to her. "You better go change in the washroom, I can't trust two twelve year old boys to keep their eyes closed."

"Agreed," T'Pol noted before she took her bag and left.

Minutes later, she opened the bathroom door to a stunned Trip Tucker who was waiting for his turn to brush his teeth. She was in some pajamas that we're exactly PG.

"Those are your pajamas?!" Trip asked as he looked at the soft pink silk pants and the shirt that barely covered her breasts.

"I bought them for the trip," T'Pol said as she looked down at herself confused.

"Aren't they a little…revealing?" Trip whispered. "Couldn't you have brought what you normally sleep in?"

"I normally sleep nude," T'Pol whispered back. "I deemed that inappropriate when staying at someone's home."

Trip swallowed hard.

"Good call," he said quietly.

"I'll see you in bed," T'Pol said before she shouldered her bag and walked past him. He turned to look at her and dropped his head when he noticed there was no sign of underwear under the pants.

True to her word, T'Pol stayed still on her side of the bed and Trip was so tired he fell into a deep sleep quickly. It was early morning before he realized the bed was empty and it was just him and two snoring twelve year olds in the room.

He looked around and, spotting the door slightly ajar, decided he should see if she needed anything. As he walked down the stairs in his pajamas, Trip heard his mother laughing, kids giggling and several male voices in a low murmur, then he heard T'Pol asking a question he couldn't decipher.

Trip walked into quite the scene in his parent's kitchen. There were people everywhere, pancakes cooking, bacon frying and kids running around with juice. In the middle of all the chaos there was his mother showing T'Pol how to make something and T'Pol holding a rolling pin with flour all over her hands. She was wearing his ancient Zephram Cockrane t-shirt from when he was a teenager; probably because he'd told her the shirt was revealing last night.

"T'Pol?" Trip asked, taking in the scene.

"Trip," T'Pol raised her head and looked at him. "Your mother is teaching me the fine art of biscuit making."

It was then that he noticed the swipe of flour up the side of her face.

"Getting right into it, are you?" Trip asked with a smirk.

"She wanted to make everyone breakfast but I explained it was impossible for one person to do that," Elise Tucker told him as she planted a kiss on his cheek. "So, I decided to teach her how to make your favorite biscuits."

"You never showed me how to make 'em!" Trip teased.

"Well, if you pay close enough attention, you'll learn too."

"Alright, mama," Trip sighed as he leaned against the wall and watched his mother teach a Vulcan to bake.

Just after he got himself a glass of juice, Trip noticed a large gathering the males in his family watching T'Pol work from behind. He furrowed his brow and casually walked around to where the men were standing. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary until T'Pol started to roll the dough. She leaned over the counter and her butt strained against the back of her silk pajama bottoms showing off her perfect underpants-free ass, then as she leaned further the pants stayed down and you could see the crack of her ass briefly. Trip looked around at his teenage and twenty-something cousins and sighed. He whipped the long sleeve cotton shirt he was wearing over his head and walked over to T'Pol and tied it efficiently around her waist, blocking any back or butt reveal that was happening, and then he turned and glared at his piggish relatives. They all looked away and started to shuffle off to various locations.

"Trip?" T'Pol asked, confused by his action.

"Trust me," he said as he cupped her shoulder before he walked away to grab some bacon.

Later that morning, it was finally his turn for a shower and Trip was relishing in the cool spray on his skin. It wasn't like he didn't know the Sub-Commander had a nice body; that was obvious. It was the first time though, that he'd felt bothered by male attention she was receiving. He wasn't sure why that was the case, and decided it was an area of his psyche that was probably left unexplored. He was just soaping his chest when the door to the washroom opened and T'Pol came inside and shut it behind her.

"T'Pol, what the hell are you doing in here?!" Trip shouted as he covered his genitals and looked out the clear shower door at the Vulcan wearing blue Bermuda shorts and a light pink t-shirt pacing in the bathroom before him. In that moment, he wished there was more steam to fog the door.

"I need some time to meditate," T'Pol spoke to herself, or possibly him, Trip wasn't sure.

"Go meditate where I'm not naked!" Trip yelled at her as he attempted to cover his genitals with one hand and open the door with the other.

T'Pol stopped pacing and looked at him standing awkwardly in the shower.

"I have seen you naked in Sick Bay plenty of times, there is no surprise on the other side of your hand, Commander" T'Pol said flatly. "I can assure you that your genitalia is within the average range for an adult human male."

Trip, annoyed and somewhat insulted, stopped covering himself, turned off the shower and stepped out in his naked glory onto the tile floor.

"You know just how to make a guy feel special," Trip said sarcastically as he walked unabashedly around her and snatched a towel off the shelf.

"It is not my job to falsely tell you something about your genitalia," T'Pol began. "I believe it's a part of the mating ritual where the female sexual…"

"Please just tell me, why the hell, you came into the washroom while I was showering?" Trip asked as he started to dry himself. Water was flicking all over her uniform and face as he roughly dried himself off.

"Several women from your family were asking me a series of very personal questions and I was having difficulty…" T'Pol said as she paced before him.

"Not answering their questions?" Trip laughed. "Yep, mama got her firing squad together."

"Firing?" T'Pol asked.

Just then, the door whipped open and Trip's sister-in-law stood at the door shocked, as Trip quickly covered himself with a towel and T'Pol jerked around to face her.

"I'm sorry," Serena said before she slammed the door shut.

"Aw, hell," Trip moaned as he wrapped the towel around his waist and then leaned back against the shower door.

"You were embarrassed that…"

"I'm not embarrassed. She's married to my brother and we've always been told we look the same, so I'm assuming…" Trip gestured toward his genital region.

"I understand. Please continue," T'Pol sighed.

"She's already downstairs starting those hens clucking about us," Trip sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"Us?"

"You and me in a washroom together, me naked and you…sweaty," Trip said as he looked her up and down. "And slightly rumpled looking."

"It's not sweat it's..." T'Pol then stopped abruptly. "They think we have engaged in sexual activity."

Trip pointed a gun finger at her; she got the bulls eye.

T'Pol was silent for a minute. "Was that why your mother placed us in a bed together and apologized for your two nephews sleeping on the floor in that same room?"

"She placed us in my old room because she didn't know you were coming until you, you know, arrived," Trip said. "That and the fact that she now thinks that you and I are…"

"We're not engaged in sexual relations," T'Pol said rather loudly.

"T'Pol, you've got to understand that those women…their only life is gossiping and watching. I will tell them, and you will tell them that there's nothing going on between us. But as long as someone walked in on, what they think they walked in on, they aren't going to believe one damn word we say, so it's not worth the effort."

"Are you saying we allow your family to believe that you and I are involved with each other?" T'Pol asked, surprised.

"I just don't want to spend the entire time I'm here trying to shoot down everything they are saying," Trip said as he pulled on clean underwear. "I'm saying we act as we normally do, and let them think what they think. Trust me, it's not worth the oxygen to try otherwise."

T'Pol watched him pull on a clean pair of pants.

"What personal questions were they asking you that sent you into such a panic?" Trip asked as he reached for his clean shirt.

"Vulcans do not…"

Trip made a circular motion with his fingers. She knew it was the human equivalent to 'hurry up'.

"They asked my favorite color," T'Pol said in a whisper.

"That's not terribly personal," Trip noted.

"They asked if I had siblings, where I had lived in San Francisco, if all Vulcan clothing is below the knee, if Vulcans get tattoos, if…"

"Yep, the firing squad," Trip chuckled as he stood before her dressed, except for his bare feet. "But I have to say, none of those questions seem…personal."

"To a Vulcan, they are incredibly personal," T'Pol noted as her face fell.

Trip nodded, he understood.

"Well, that I can deal with," Trip said before he reached for the doorknob. "Go meditate in the bedroom and I'll deal with the firing squad. I'm right in assuming you don't have any tattoos?"

He winked at her and reached to open the door.

"Trip…," T'Pol said softly before he opened the door to find sister on the other side just staring at them.

"Fuck, not you too Lizzie," Trip said with a groan.

"I was just, uh, on my way to…" Lizzie stammered.

"We're just friends," Trip said with some force.

"Sure," Lizzie said, not so assuredly.

"Vulcans don't…she's seen me naked before and…"

"Trip, you don't have to…" Lizzie started.

"Excuse me," T'Pol said quietly before she darted out of the washroom and down the hall to their bedroom.

Once the door shut behind her, Lizzie met Trip's eyes.

"So, you're 'enjoying space travel and spending time with your colleagues'?" Lizzie asked, doing air quotes for the words she just said from Trip's most recent e-mail.

Trip sighed and covered his eyes with his hands.

"She and I are friends," Trip said. "Nothing more, but you lot of gossipers have concocted…look, I gotta talk with mama about the personal questions she's asking T'Pol, they're upsetting to a Vulcan."

Trip brushed past his sister and was just about to step down the first stair when his sister's voice caught him.

"Everyone likes her, Trip," Lizzie said with a smile. "She's smart and beautiful and we can all see she's trying really hard to deal with the craziness that is our family. She must like you a lot to do this for you."

Trip sighed, no one was ever going to believe that he and T'Pol weren't friends. Half his single male cousins looked like lustful teenagers when she walked into the yard with him in that sundress. His father had pointed out how close they were. His mother had tried to teach T'Pol to bake, and his own sister was saying how much she obviously liked Trip. He sighed again. No, no one would believe the truth; he'd felt sorry for her. She was so far from home, and a cold home at that. He couldn't have gone to the warmth of his family while thinking of her lonely. And she, ever the professional, couldn't pass up an opportunity to observe humans. No, they were just friends, but his family would never get that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: This story is right after Regeneration in Season 2-it's part of a Trip/T'Pol romance series that looks at their developing relationship from Season 1 onwards as they go on shore leave. It's totally AU in the sense that it adheres to the basic characterization of the series but I have placed shore leave wherever I wanted it to be to make this story work. I'm not sure how many parts the series will be. All characters belong to Paramount and not infringement it meant. I make no money from this writing. Please read and review!**

 **XXX**

"If I have to hear one more comment about protocol," Trip muttered under his breath.

"It's part of the procedure," T'Pol commented beside him. Their conversation was a whispered exchange so it didn't draw attention to them. They were in hearings to discuss the alien race that wanted to assimilate them on their last mission. Phlox had just testified and a Starfleet officer was analyzing the data he provided for the benefit of all present.

"Everything with them is procedure," Trip sighed.

"You have somewhere to be?" T'Pol asked.

"I've got an old friend I've been meaning to catch up with," Trip sighed. "But shore leave doesn't begin until after these damn meetings are finished, and with the way things are going…"

"If you needed to leave, I'm sure the captain…"

"Naw, it's fine," Trip mumbled.

The hearings continued for another hour before Trip complained again.

"Like he could have done something different," Trip mumbled under his breath.

"You and I know that," T'Pol whispered.

"Why does no one here seem to understand that?" Trip leaned in and whispered to her.

"I too have plans, Commander Tucker," T'Pol noted. "I would also like to leave."

"What are your plans?" Trip asked, interested.

"There is a display at the Guggenheim that I am excited to see," T'Pol explained. "It's about an early archeological find…"

"You're spending your leave at an art gallery?" Trip asked, surprised.

"A museum, but yes," T'Pol noted the speaker had changed.

"You have 4 days," Trip said with his brow furrowed. "You can't spend all that time at the museum."

"I will spend some time there at the end of my leave," T'Pol explained. "First, I intend to enhance my camping skills in Yosemite Park as more and more of our away missions seem to involve camping."

"You know it's cougar season there," Trip said. "I just heard of an attack…"

"I'll be fine Commander," T'Pol dismissed him.

"With all due respect," Trip said as he leaned into her a little closer. "You suck at camping."

"Which is why," T'Pol whispered back. "As you astutely observed, I need practice."

"Practice isn't going into Yosemite Park on your own during cougar season," Trip said, his voice slightly raised. A few officers looked their way in annoyance.

"Vulcan survival training involves living alone in the desert for a week at a young age and…"

"A desert is a different environment then Yosemite," Trip sighed. "I've camped there plenty of times and it's easy to get…"

"If you have," T'Pol noted. "Then I'm sure I'll be fine."

"I have been camping since I was a child and I've never done Yosemite on my own," Trip crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you want to get hurt? Killed?"

"I have no intention of either happening," T'Pol said.

"Where are you hiking?" Trip asked.

"Not that it's any of your concern," T'Pol sighed. "But I am hiking up Four Mile Trail and down Panorama Trail."

Trip thought for a few minutes. "Aren't those quite strenuous hikes?"

"They are meant as a challenge," T'Pol nodded.

"For an inexperienced camper that's…"

"Are you two going to sit here all day talking or are you going to start your shore leave?" Malcolm asked as he leaned into the pair of them.

Trip and T'Pol looked around and noticed that everyone else was rising, shaking hands and dispersing.

"I will see you in four days, Commander," T'Pol said as she rose to leave.

Trip stood and rubbed his hand across his mouth again and again. He had four days free and an football buddy who offered to have him to his cottage on Lake Tahoe with some other friends for fishing, beer and BBQ. It sounded like the perfect restful vacation but thinking of T'Pol alone in Yosemite being attacked by a cougar made the cottage not seem so relaxing.

Decision made, he jogged to catch up to her.

"Hold on T'Pol," Trip called to her. "I'm coming with you."

"Excuse me?" T'Pol asked as she turned and looked at him confused.

"I can't, in good conscious, let you go alone," Trip said.

"Commander, I assure you…"

"It's my duty as a fellow officer," Trip answered.

T'Pol couldn't refuse his request, but spending several days with him when she was seeking solitude, might be a little too much to bear.

"I was hoping to also use the time for meditation," T'Pol noted.

"You can meditate all you want," he said as he walked beside her. "I'll amuse myself."

T'Pol sighed.

"I have only rented camping equipment for myself and…"

"I'm sure the supply store will have some for me," Trip said as he continued next to her. "When do we leave?"

T'Pol stopped walking and looked at him. "I appreciate your offer but…"

Trip placed his hands on his hips and looked down at her annoyed. "I'm coming."

She sighed. "Fine. We leave at 11:00 hours from Macabees Camping Outfitters. They'll transport us to..."

"I know Macabees," Trip chuckled. "I'll see you there in forty minutes."

When T'Pol arrived to Macabees she saw Trip right away, backpack on his back, equipment packed and loading the van with the Macabees employees.

"I see you have got acquainted," T'Pol said, annoyed.

"I'm ready to go if you are," Trip smiled at her. "Sanjay told me it's a three-hour drive to get there, and there are two other couples they're transporting."

"We're not a couple," T'Pol noted.

"It's a figure of speech," Trip said with a shrug.

Everyone packed themselves into the van and started the journey. Trip threw his arm around the back of their seat and looked at the other two couples.

"I'm Trip Tucker and this is T'Pol," Trip said as he reached to shake hands with another pair.

"Michael Gregory, my wife Miranda," the man said as she shook Trip's hand. "We're visiting California and decided to go backwoods for a few days."

"Nice, you'll love it," Trip nodded.

"Trip and T'Pol," Trip said as he reached out for the other man's hand.

"Phil Woo and my wife Sandy," the other gentleman said. "I've never been camping, so Sandy wanted to show me the ropes before we left for London."

"London?" Trip asked.

"New job there," Phil said. "Not many camping opportunities."

"True," Trip chuckled.

T'Pol shifted next to him and looked out the window; it was going to be a long ride.

XXX

"You didn't tie the rope right," he said as he examined her knot.

"According to the manual I read…"T'Pol began.

"I don't care about your manual," Trip said under his breath. "That knot will loosen throughout the night."

"So what knot would you suggest?" T'Pol hedged.

"The same as the one you did but pass the end through this way," he demonstrated. "It's a stronger hold."

T'Pol did notice he was correct and said nothing before she walked away to see if the water had boiled for their noodles.

"God, it's gorgeous out here," Trip said as the sun set around them.

They had hiked for four hours and decided to set up camp. He had talked with the others the entire three-hour journey and T'Pol had feigned sleep for about half the journey so he'd stop trying to engage her in conversation.

"It is rather beautiful," T'Pol agreed.

"And we're the only people for miles," Trip said as he settled down next to the fire.

"You'd think you would be used to that feeling being in space all the time," T'Pol noted as she dropped two noodle packs into the pot.

"It's different being on earth and feeling this isolated," Trip noted. "Most places we stay on earth are crawling with people."

"True," T'Pol agreed.

They sat in silence for a long time while the noodles cooked.

"What would you do if you weren't a science officer?" Trip asked her.

"But I am," T'Pol noted.

"Just play along," Trip groaned.

"I would have been an artist," T'Pol said without a hint of sarcasm.

"An artist?" Trip asked with raised eyebrows.

"I was quite adept at pottery creation," T'Pol said. "Had I more time to practice…"

"And you didn't continue?" Trip inquired.

"I had to finish my degree," T'Pol said as she looked at the fire. "All the hours spent in pottery class were a diversion from my studies."

"So, you just gave it up?" Trip asked, surprised. "You didn't even keep it up as a hobby?"

"As I said, it is illogical to pursue the study if there is no end goal," T'Pol said before she lifted out the noodles and placed them into two bowls.

"For enjoyment?"

"Illogical," T'Pol said.

"Huh," Trip mumbled as she ate his noodles.

T'Pol looked at him annoyed. She knew he expected her to ask questions in return to make conversation.

"And you? What would you choose to be if Starfleet hadn't been your career?" T'Pol asked.

"Me? I'd have been a tour boat operator," Trip smiled. "Can't think of anything better then being out on the water and talking to new people each day."

"You'd be very good at it," T'Pol agreed.

"Well, it's a good thing we both found Starfleet or this tour boat operator would never have met a potter on Vulcan," Trip chuckled.

"True," T'Pol agreed.

He made her play twenty questions and finally seemed to tire and need rest. Honestly, Porthos may have been a better companion; he'd be quieter.

Trip and T'Pol crawled into their individual tents and got some much needed rest.

XXX

Athletically, she was a good hiker, Trip noted. She carried her pack with ease, could climb and jump and move up hills, but she had no instincts as a hiker. She logically took the shorter route, not the most interesting. She relied on devices to tell her which direction to go in, not the height of the sun or the colour of the sky. When they stopped for lunch he thought about bringing up some of these observations but, noting her tense face, decided it was not the best time. So, they ate and continued, the climb getting more strenuous and their pace slowing as a result. When they reached one of the summits they decided to camp there, against a rock outcropping, for the night.

"You camped as a child?" T'Pol asked him as she watched him blanche the vegetables.

"All the time," Trip said. "And in the Everglades, that can mean gators."

"They are predators in that region," T'Pol noted.

"When I got into high school we started to go on these weekend road trips out of state and the cheapest way to stay was to camp," Trip explained. "The summer before senior year, I camped across the country with two buddies and my girlfriend."

"The four of you?" T'Pol asked.

"Yes, we had a great time," Trip laughed. "Found plenty of lakes to skinny dip in."

"Skinny dip?" T'Pol inquired.

"Swimming naked," Trip explained. "Feels the best in the middle of nowhere. Best at night."

"You didn't mind the other males seeing your mate naked?" T'Pol asked.

"Bethany wasn't my mate, she was my girlfriend, and only I got to see her naked," Trip smiled at the memory.

"So, you were involved in a sexual relationship with this Bethany?" T'Pol asked.

Trip looked at her, his face red. "Uh, yeah."

"Interesting," T'Pol said softly.

"Why's it interesting?" Trip inquired, unsure if he wanted the answer.

"You take her on the trip with your friends so you have someone to engage in sexual relations with, but because of the friends accompanying you, you release yourself from the burden of intimacy that camping alone with Bethany would have meant."

"Sounds like a bit of armchair psychology there, T'Pol," Trip chuckled. Her assessment hit a little too close to home.

"I do have a degree in psychology," T'Pol noted absently.

"Well, I wasn't trying to unburden myself from intimacy," Trip explained. "They all just wanted to come along."

"But you could have said 'no' and just travelled with your girlfriend," T'Pol noted.

"Yes, I could have," Trip rubbed at his chin. "But Bethany was happy to have them along as well. It was a bunch of friends having fun more than…well, more than anything else."

"You're burning the vegetables," T'Pol said as she eyed the pan.

"Shit," he said as he lifted it carefully off the camp stove. "That water disappeared fast."

"Perhaps if you.."

"I'm done with any more of your suggestions tonight, thank you," Trip snapped. "And if I was so scared of intimacy, why the hell am I here alone with you?"

"You are seeking intimacy with me?" T'Pol asked confused.

"No, I'm…"

"It is inadvisable for us to enter into a sexual relationship because of Starfleet's policy on…"

"I didn't mean sexual intimacy," Trip said as he lifted the vegetables out of the pot and placed them on plates with the rice he'd already cooked. "I just meant general intimacy, getting to know someone outside of…you know, work."

"Oh," T'Pol nodded. "Friendship. You are trying to become my friend?"

"I sorta thought we already were friends," Trip chuckled.

"I would classify you as a friend," T'Pol said as she poured them fresh water. "So, you are seeking to deepen the friendship with this trip?"

"No, I was seeking to not let you get killed in Yosemite park," Trip reminded her.

XXX

The third day of hiking meant a downhill path toward a lake and a brief encounter with a bear that was about ten metres off the path. Trip halted her forward motion and they stood frozen until the bear passed in the opposite direction.

T'Pol had to admit, that having him with her for that encounter did bring her some measure of safety. She probably shouldn't have gone hiking and camping alone.

After dinner that evening she told him she was going to meditate by the lake. She got to the lake and thought of their conversation last night; skinny dipping. T'Pol scanned the immediate area around the lake and, knowing no one was there, decided to wait until dusk to try skinny dipping. She meditated for an hour and, as the light faded, she made her way to the edge of the water and stripped off her clothing. Vulcans generally sleep naked but it was exciting to try swimming nude. She wasn't the strongest of swimmers, but she would stay close to shore.

The cool water felt wonderful against her bare skin. She started by standing and just luxuriating in the feel before she allowed her feet to lift off the rocky floor bed. She floated and looked up at the moon, it was only a half moon this evening, and decided that a hyperbaric floatation chamber would have been a nice addition to Enterprise for staff relaxation.

"T'Pol?!" Trip called from shore.

She dropped into the water and looked toward the shore. She could barely make out his outline against the trees.

"Trip?!" She called back.

"You need to get back to camp," Trip said as he shone a light around the area where the trees met the beach. "There's a pack of mountain lions in the immediate area right now. I picked them up on my scanner when I heard…"

T'Pol immediately started swimming toward the shore. She didn't think mountain lions could swim, but she'd rather be careful.

"Uh, T'Pol…" Trip said as he looked at her naked breasts rise out of the water.

"Oh, I was…" T'Pol stopped walking and lowered herself into the water slightly. "You suggested skinny dipping to get in touch with nature and…"

"How about I just turn my back and keep an eye out for mountain lions while you dress?" Trip snickered as he turned away from her.

"Thank you," T'Pol said as she exited the water and reached for her clothes to dress. "Are there many?"

"Seven," Trip answered. "Looks like a few could be younger, smaller, but…"

"I'm dressed," T'Pol said as he came up to stand beside him.

"You're quick," Trip said with a raised eyebrow.

"Logic dictated I only needed to cover myself," T'Pol said as she cupped her bra and underwear in her hand.

"Oh," he said noticing her trying to also carry her book. "Just, uh, put them in my coat pocket."

"Thank you," T'Pol said as she shoved her hand into his pocket and left her undergarments there.

They made their way back to camp using his flashlight to guide them through the darkness and settled in for an uncomfortable night's sleep.

XXXX

"You did well, are you proud of yourself?" Trip asked her the next day as they waited for their pickup vehicle.

"I am pleased you joined me," T'Pol admitted as they sat under the tree. "I must admit it wouldn't have gone as well on my own."

"You're welcome," Trip said as he patted her knee.

"Maybe we could do this again? Without the bear, or mountain lions or my exposed body," T'Pol noted.

Trip shook his head. "I don't know, those made it all more of an adventure."

T'Pol swallowed hard.

"Don't worry T'Pol, what happens on a hiking trip stays on a hiking trip," he said as he noted the van coming down the road.

"I appreciate that, Commander," T'Pol nodded before she lifted her gear and waited for the van.

Seven hours later Trip found himself unpacking in his quarters. Crew members he'd encountered had asked about his Leave and he'd told him the truth, he'd gone camping with a friend. T'Pol had left him at the outfitters to hit the museum and should be coming on board anytime now. Trip hung up his jacket and noticed something lacy dangling from the pocket.

"Shit," he sighed under his breath as he extracted the tiny violet lace bra and panties from the pocket. He'd forgotten he was carrying them for T'Pol, now he had to figure out a way to discreetly get them back to the Sub-Commander.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: This story is set during The Expanse in Season 2-it's part of a Trip/T'Pol romance series that looks at their developing relationship from Season 1 onwards as they go on shore leave. It's totally AU in the sense that it adheres to the basic characterization of the series but I have placed shore leave wherever I wanted it to be to make this story work. I'm not sure how many parts the series will be. All characters belong to Paramount and not infringement it meant. I make no money from this writing. Please read and review!**

XXX

T'Pol looked at his ashen face and knew immediately that it was a bad idea for him to come to this region of Earth.

"Readings?" T'Pol asked the two officers that were accompanying her.

"No readings that differ in any way," Malcolm said as he also eyed Trip.

"I'm going to take a look around," Trip said, feebly.

T'Pol nodded for Malcolm to stay with him. Malcolm walked a few paces behind Trip while she continued to take readings.

T'Pol watched him walk several blocks and head down a street to the area where the damage was. She sighed and continued to collect data.

He was gone with Lieutenant Reed for quite some time and just when she was about to go and find them, she saw them round the corner and head toward her.

"Do you have all your readings T'Pol?" Trip asked as he approached her. He had gone from being lost to being angry in the time that he was away. Lieutenant Reed looked slightly helpless.

"Yes, have you…completed what you needed to?" T'Pol asked, knowing his visit was personal, not professional.

"Let's go," he said under his breath as he walked past her and toward the shuttle.

Malcolm looked at her and shrugged before he followed Trip.

The ride up to Enterprise was quiet.

"Will your family have a memorial?" T'Pol asked.

"They already did," Trip said, not meeting her eyes.

"Maybe you and your family could…" T'Pol started.

"Drop it, T'Pol," Trip said.

"Have you contacted your mother?" T'Pol asked, still continuing.

"You mean to tell her that I didn't do anything to stop the death of my sister? No, we haven't had that conversation yet," Trip said angry.

"Trip…" Malcolm started.

"Can you both just leave me alone?" Trip asked as he leaned his head back against the shuttle wall and closed his eyes.

T'Pol and Malcolm exchanged worried glances and said nothing for the remainder of the trip back.

When she returned to Enterprise, T'Pol placed a call to Trip's mother.

"T'Pol?" Elise Tucker asked, surprised.

"Mrs. Tucker, I'm sorry to…"

"Elise," she corrected.

"Elise, I am sorry to bother you at this time. The loss of Elizabeth must be difficult for your family," T'Pol began.

"Thank you T'Pol," Elise smiled a watery smile at her. "We're trying our best to make sense of everything."

T'Pol nodded.

"Have you spoken much to Trip?" T'Pol asked.

"I've called a couple of times but he only writes me e-mails, he won't take my calls, I'm worried about him, hon," Elise explained. "I was actually thinking of calling you or Jonathan to see if he could check in on Trip."

"I am concerned for him as well," T'Pol admitted.

"He's always been a very emotional man," Elise said as she shook her head.

"That's my concern," T'Pol said. "He's expressed very little emotion about the loss of his sister and I feel…"

"Oh, it'll come out eventually, give it time," Elise sighed. "He bottles it all up and then explodes. I'm just grateful he has you and Jonathan. You obviously care for him."

"I do," T'Pol admitted. It was true, as much as it wasn't logical, she cared for him above all others.

"I'll keep trying to call him," Elise said with a sigh. "He can't avoid me forever."

"I agree," T'Pol nodded. "Is there something I could say or do to bring him comfort?"

Elise looked at her, surprised by the question.

"I don't want to inflame the situation," T'Pol explained.

"Oh well, Trip was always a boy who sought comfort in food," Elise said. "If it wasn't for football that boy would have been the size of a house as a teenager."

"So food?" T'Pol asked. "Does he have anything in particular I could get from Earth before we leave dock?"

"Those peach cookies are his favorite," Elise noted. "He thinks they're mine, but I only say so because I know he loves them so much."

"I know the bakery," T'Pol said. "I know he likes catfish, and pecan pie, key lime pie, potatoes…"

"He loves German potato salad," Elise interrupted her. "I don't know if food is the answer you want, but it's a place to start. A satisfied stomach is sometimes all you can do to help the soul."

T'Pol nodded, she remembered Trip saying something similar when she was trying to figure out what to do about Koss.

"Just knowing you care for him, and will listen to him when he's ready…that's what you can do for Trip," Elise smiled at her. "This call tells me how much you care."

T'Pol merely nodded.

"Thank you for your insight," T'Pol said. "And if you need to get a message to Trip…"

"I'll call you hon, thanks," Elise said. "Stay safe and keep my boy safe."

"I will, thank you," T'Pol nodded before she signed off.

She immediately looked at the chronometer. She probably had enough time.

XXX

Trip Tucker walked into his quarters to find a box sitting on his bed that he didn't place there. He walked toward it speculatively and slowly lifted the lid to inspect the contents. Inside were the peach cookies his mother loved; she must have sent them to him.

He sighed and reached for a cookie and popped it in his mouth. He closed his eyes and, for a moment, felt satisfaction. Tired as he was from all the maintence work he'd immersed himself in, he sat heavily in his chair and typed in the code to call his parents. It was just before 10pm and they were probably still up.

"Hi Mama," Trip said with a yawn as he looked at his mother.

"Trip," she smiled at him. "I've been calling…"

"I know, and…and I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I've been busy with the upgrades and…"

"You look tired," she said softly.

"I am," he admitted. "But these cookies made me happy, thanks."

"She got them, did she?" Elise smiled.

"She?" Trip asked, confused.

"T'Pol, she called and asked what she could do to help you with the loss of Elizabeth and…"

"She called you?" Trip asked, surprised.

"Don't be angry," Elise cautioned. "She cares for you."

"But she's making you worry with…"

"I was already worried, her call made me feel better," Elise said softly.

"Mama…" Trip hedged.

"She is trying to help you Trip," Elise said. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. You need her."

Trip dropped his head to his chest; his family's assumptions about his relationship with T'Pol were growing, now that she'd made personal contact.

"T'Pol and I are just friends," Trip said clearly.

"And I'll believe that when pigs…"

"How are you doing mama?" He asked, interrupting her.

"I have days," she said softly. "Your father is…well, he's on some heavy medication."

"Dad seemed a little out of it when I called after the attack," Trip said softly.

"She was his little girl, Trip," Elise said as tears came into her eyes. "Mothers want daughters to dress up and braid their hair…Lizzie was your father's from the moment she was born. She was never as much mine."

"Don't say that mama," Trip said sadly.

"I loved her and I miss her every minute of every day but your father…it's taken the life out of him," Elise said as a couple of tears dropped from her eye.

"Mama, I wish I could be there to…"

"Go find those Xindi who did this to our Lizzie," Elise said as she wiped at her tears. "That will help your father and me far more then you handing me tissues."

Trip looked at his mother and nodded his head.

"I love you mama," he said softly as tears formed in his eyes.

"I love you too Trip," Elise said before she reached for the button to end the call. "Stay safe and don't be a stranger."

Trip chuckled as the call disconnected.

He looked over at the box of cookies and made a decision.

Five minutes later the buzzer chimed in T'Pol's quarters.

"Come in," she called from her place on her meditation mat.

Trip walked into her quarters and looked down at her position.

"I'm sorry, I can come back later," Trip said as he took a step backwards.

"No, I've finished my meditation," T'Pol said as she gracefully rose to her feet.

She immediately noticed the box in his hand.

"Can I help you?" T'Pol asked.

"I thought you may like a cookie," Trip said as he opened the box for her to look inside. "Someone sent them to me but my mama said it wasn't her."

"You spoke with your mother?" T'Pol asked.

"Briefly," Trip said as he shook the box slightly to get her to take one. "Mostly about my dad. He's not doing too well."

"He's not?" T'Pol asked as she resigned herself to picking a cookie up with her fingers. Honestly, he made her eat with her fingers far too often.

"He and Lizzie were very close," Trip explained as he looked tiredly at a candle.

"Do you wish to sit?" T'Pol asked, gesturing to her bed.

"Naw, I gotta get some sleep," Trip said as he looked at her carefully. "Thanks for the cookies. They're my favorite."

"Commander I don't know what…" T'Pol started. She had spent the better part of her day arranging transport to Earth, getting the cookies and coming back to Enterprise, but he didn't need to know that.

It was then that she felt his cool hand grasping hers.

"Just, thank you," he said softly, his eyes boring into hers with gratitude.

T'Pol nodded and then he let her hand go and walked out of her quarters without another word.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: This story is set after Impulse in Season 2-it's part of a Trip/T'Pol romance series that looks at their developing relationship from Season 1 onwards as they go on shore leave.**

 **It's totally AU in the sense that it adheres to the basic characterization of the series but I have placed shore leave wherever I wanted it to be to make this story work (and Trip goes to Vulcan in this one—way before Home).** **And yes, it seems improbable that in the middle of the mission they would have 2 weeks of shore leave but I'm chalking it up to the conversation between Archer and Trip about morale and the need for everyone to take a break.**

 **I'm not sure how many parts the series will be.** **All characters belong to Paramount and not infringement it meant. The songs in this one are Billie Holliday's** ** _These Foolish Things_** **and Jerry Lee Lewis's** ** _Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On_** **I make no money from this writing. Please read and review!**

XXX

"I've never been to Vulcan," Trip said excitedly as the shuttle pod made its way to the planet's surface.

"It's supposed to be quite beautiful," Lieutenant Reed said as he leaned his head back.

"I hope to see the fire plains," Travis said from his spot at the helm.

"I heard the caves are impressive," Ensign Cutler said with a smile.

"The P'Terra Gardens are supposed to be unbelievable," Lieutenant Rostov added.

"Too bad the captain is staying on board," Trip said softly. "You okay, T'Pol?"

"I'm fine," T'Pol said softly.

"Are you staying with your parents?" Trip asked.

"I will be staying at my mother's home, but she is away at a conference," T'Pol said.

"You hear that? Party at T'Pol's!" Trip joked.

"Excuse me?" T'Pol asked affronted.

"I was joking," Trip said as he leaned into her frame. "Are you sure you're okay?"

T'Pol glared at him and said nothing.

"You have cancelled our last two neuropressure sessions," Trip said softly.

"I am sorry if your sleep is compromised," T'Pol said honestly.

"It's fine," Trip said. "I'm just worried about you."

"I assure you, I am…"

"Fine," Trip smirked. "Yeah, I got that."

The remainder of the shuttle down to the planet was quiet except for Travis explaining the facts he knew about Vulcan and Rostov quizzing them about Vulcan trivia.

"I'll drop Commander T'Pol off first at the co-ordinates I've been given," Travis explained.

As they touched down outside of T'Pol's family home she reached for her bag and Trip intervened by grabbing it first. The glare she gave him didn't stop his forward motion as he followed her out of the shuttle with her bag.

"Nice house," Trip said as he took in the beautiful home.

"It's been my familial home for generations," T'Pol explained.

"T'Pol I don't really want to hang out with Malcolm and Travis this week," Trip said honestly, once they were several metres from the shuttle. "I'm looking for some solitude."

"Solitude?" T'Pol asked.

"I need to get my head straight," Trip said softly as he looked back toward the shuttle.

T'Pol looked thoughtfully at him for a moment.

"You could stay here," she said softly.

"With you?" He asked, his eyebrows moving toward his hairline.

"It's a large home," T'Pol conceded.

Trip looked at her and then looked back at the shuttle. He then walked back toward the shuttle and shouldered his own bag.

"Trip?" Malcolm asked, confused.

"I'm going to stay here for a few days," Trip said, not meeting their eyes. "T'Pol said her mother has some repairs and I figure I can help."

"Repairs?" Travis asked doubtful.

"Uh, yeah," Trip said as he stepped out of the shuttle. "See y'all in a few days!"

Malcolm leaned partially out of the shuttle away from the prying ears of the others. "We're not going to see you at all this shore leave, are we?"

Trip's eyes shifted side to side. "Probably not, Mal."

"I thought so," Malcolm said with a smirk. "See you in two weeks."

Trip nodded and walked toward the house.

XXX

Two days later, Trip realized this was exactly what he needed as he sat in T'Pol's quiet garden and fixed another small appliance. There was something peaceful about quiet, lonely work and he was happy for it. His anger was close to the surface lately and he needed to keep it in check more. The neuropressure with T'Pol had been helping, be he needed to rely on himself to get his temper back in line.

It had been two days of them living side by side with little interaction beyond meals and neuropressure. It was bliss. Trip didn't feel as if he needed to make conversation, he didn't feel the need to please her, and he didn't have to wonder why she was acting the way she was. They were two adults co-existing peacefully.

At least that was the case until he heard her screaming one night. Trip shot out of his bed and bolted down the hallway to the room he knew was T'Pol's. He burst through the door and squinted in the dark to locate her.

"T'Pol?" He called.

He heard her heavy breathing and the shifting of a body on the bed.

"T'Pol?" Trip asked as he walked further into the room.

"I'm fine," she said breathless. "I'm sorry I disturbed you."

"What happened?" He asked as he felt around until his foot connected with the corner of her bed.

"I just had a…a nightmare," T'Pol explained, embarrassed.

"That was some nightmare," Trip said as he sat on the corner of her bed. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really," T'Pol said, reaching for a glass of water.

They sat in silence for a few minutes; he, listening for her breathing to normalize, and she, trying to sound as if she was unaffected.

"I was on the Seleya," T'Pol began, realizing he was going to stay until there was an explanation. "And Tolaris was there."

"The guy who didn't take 'no' for an answer?" Trip said through gritted teeth.

"Yes."

"Well that does sound like a situation where I could see anyone screaming," Trip huffed. "I'm sorry I didn't…no one knew…"

"You couldn't have known," T'Pol said quietly. "I was foolish to trust him."

"Kov was nice, the rest of them as well, Tolaris was…well, he was 'off', if you know what I mean?" Trip explained.

"I thought he was the most logical of the crew, but my choice was wrong," T'Pol said softly.

"I'm sure someone's told you this already but you did nothing wrong, you know that right?" Trip asked as he looked at her in the darkness.

"I have come to understand that," T'Pol hedged.

Trip wanted to say more but he knew that the conversation had been more intimate than she had wanted it to be so he backed off.

"Do you want me to make you some tea?" He asked as he stood from her bed.

"No, I am going to attempt sleep again," T'Pol said quietly. "But thank you for your assistance."

"Anytime," Trip said before he left her alone in her room.

XXX

One week into their leave, T'Pol sat observing the human who was digging up a plant outside the gates of her family home. She had, off-handily, mentioned that a plant had seeded outside of the gates and she'd need to remove it or face a fine. Today, he'd asked her which plant and had proceeded to remove it for her.

Trip was a curious creature. When they were camping, he wouldn't stop talking and she had wished Porthos was her companion instead. But now, since the death of his sister, he'd waffled between quiet and angry onboard Enterprise. There were short bursts of his old personality that seeped through on occasion, but the events were rarer and rarer.

On Vulcan, he'd been nothing but quiet. She should appreciate the solitude and the respect he'd shown herself and her culture, but instead, she felt as if something had died. She'd offered to take him to the caves, the fire plains, the temples…he had refused all. He'd also fixed every piece of equipment in her mother's home so it was working at maximum efficiency. Twice she'd caught him talking to himself in her mother's gardens and, although she could tune in that it was actually his dead sister he was having a discussion with, she retreated so he wouldn't know she had heard.

In truth, they were both broken and trying to find their way to a new way of existing. She had been unnerved by the Seleya crew, infected with Pa'nar syndrome by Tolaris and attacked by the Rajiin woman and she was near breaking point. He had lost a relationship, lost his sister, and nearly died on several occasions, there was only so much a human mind and body could withstand. So, in that moment when he asked for solitude, she knew should could offer him that, at least. And she had; going about her daily life and only seeing him for meals and neuropressure. It should be the perfect holiday where she and he could restore themselves and return in better shape to find the Xindi. Instead, she felt if things didn't change, they would return more tired at the end of two weeks.

That night at dinner she did something unheard of in a Vulcan home, she played off-world music as they ate and opened a bottle of wine that she had received on a diplomatic mission two years ago and left hidden in her room.

"Wine?" Trip asked with a smirk as he saw her open the bottle.

"I thought it would be nice," she said candidly as she poured them each a glass on the set table.

"I thought Vulcans didn't drink," Trip said as he carried the salad to the table. "I mean, I've seen you drink a couple of times but…"

"Vulcans rarely drink," T'Pol conceded. "But I'm on vacation and I thought it…appropriate."

Trip smirked and nodded. He liked it when she broke Vulcan rules.

They sat and ate talking about several items that appeared in the news that day; diplomatic negotiations between the Triaxians and earth, a new planet, the opening of a new Vulcan art institute, and the wind storms to the south which had immobilized an entire region of Vulcan. Twentieth century earth music played softly in the background and she watched him laugh for the first time since they'd arrived. Yes, she had been right to change their dynamic at this point in the week.

"Apparently it took 11 people to catch it," Trip continued with his tale of a large fish that someone in his hometown had caught. "But 40 people to eat it."

"It was a large fish," T'Pol replied.

"I've never seen a Snorell fish that large in my lifetime," Trip chuckled. "The head alone came past my knee."

T'Pol nodded and continued to eat.

"That's Billie Holliday," Trip said suddenly as he listened to the music carefully.

"It's a selection of earth music from the twentieth century," T'Pol explained.

Trip looked over at the comm device playing the music and smiled before he turned and looked at her.

"Dance with me?" He asked as he held out a hand.

"Vulcans don't dance," T'Pol said assuredly.

"Be one that does," Trip said as he met her eyes unwavering.

T'Pol swallowed hard and nodded as she took his hand.

"Place your hand on my shoulder and the other in my palm," Trip said as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Just follow me."

T'Pol nodded and felt him start to sway back and forth his upper body moving more than his lower body which merely seemed to take small steps around. She mimicked his movement and felt stiff and odd at first.

"Relax," Trip said. "There are steps, but you're not ready for those yet. Just relax and sway with me."

T'Pol felt her shoulders soften and she closed her eyes. The music was instrumental up until this point when a woman's voice started to sing in the background about foolish things reminding her of someone. She found if she closed her eyes and focused on the words it was easier to relax into his dancing embrace and she stepped on the edges of his feet far less.

"You're doing really well," Trip chuckled softly against her ear.

"I am trying to relax," T'Pol admitted.

"Think of dancing like a meditation," Trip coaxed. "You relax during meditation, don't you?"

"I do," T'Pol said, confused.

"Meditate to the music," Trip explained.

When T'Pol started to think of it that way, she felt her body give over to the music and she even felt her hips swaying slightly to the beat. It was intoxicating. She leaned into his frame a little more and could feel the scratch of his late day beard growth against her temple. Before she realized it, the song ended and some rather loud clashing music had taken its place. Trip pulled away from her slightly and she opened her eyes to his smiling face.

"You're a really good dancer when you give yourself over to it," Trip said as he still held her about the waist.

"The meditation analogy was an intelligent choice," T'Pol complimented him.

"Did you just compliment me?" Trip asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Possibly," T'Pol conceded before they broke apart and went back to their meal. The rest of the evening was spent in conversation and T'Pol was not bothered by that. She taught him a Vulcan children's game of logic with cups and dice and he, eventually, mastered it.

When she retired to her bed that night T'Pol felt lighter, more…herself…then she had in a long time.

Twelve days into their vacation things had changed. Each night they talked profusely, they danced for at least one song, sometimes two, and their nights went quite late. One night they had both fallen asleep on the floor as they reviewed some drawings of her fathers of early Vulcan warp ships. She woke at some point in the night and looked up to see his head mere inches from hers on the floor, his face peaceful in rest. T'Pol rose and placed a soft blanket from her bed over his sleeping form before she retired to her bedroom for the remainder of the night. He complained the next day about a sore back and she felt guilty for not waking him to go to his own bed.

On that twelfth night, she had poured them both some Vulcan liqueur that her mother kept for off-worlders to drink if they came over. Suffice to say, the bottle was practically full because her mother rarely invited off-worlders to their home. She had also made dessert for him; Vulcan stewed pears in a cream sauce. It had taken her half the afternoon to prepare it, she hoped he would enjoy the sweet dessert she'd put so much time into.

The evening proceeded as usual with them eating and talking about a variety of things and then, inevitably, a song would come on that sparked his interest and he would invite her to dance. He had shown her a few steps in the last few days, but she found it difficult to look at dancing as a meditation and think of the proper steps. In the end, she had decided that 'following his lead', as Trip had put it, was the easiest way to approach dancing in a relaxed manner.

"Now we gotta dance to this one," Trip said as he held out a hand again.

She now took his hand readily, trusting that he knew which songs were the ones you danced to. This song was a faster one about 'shaking going on' and Trip seemed to take her in his arms as if to slow dance, but then started to move quickly and more rigorously.

She found herself being hurled around the common room as he laughed and sent her out with his one hand still holding her, then spun her back to make contact with his body. It was invigorating to move with such abandon and she found herself laughing suddenly. He noticed, but didn't stop, and continued to turn her under his arm, then out and back before he grasped her hand and they danced together again. Just as she was mid-laugh and the song was almost over, the comm came to life and her mother's stern face greeted them from the other side.

"T'Pol!" She commanded.

T'Pol stopped dancing immediately and tried to wipe the smile from her face as she panted.

"Mother?" T'Pol asked confused by this interruption.

"What are you doing?" T'Les asked from the comm.

"Charles was just showing me the earth custom of dancing," T'Pol said as she straightened her shirt and wiped some sweat from her brow. "Mother this is Charles Tucker the third, he's…"

"He's the man the neighbors told me has been living with you for the last twelve days?" T'Les asked.

"He's a guest in our home," T'Pol clarified.

"And the music?" T'Les asked as she looked between the man and her daughter.

"That was my doing, ma'am," Charles said as he stepped forward. "I missed it and T'Pol agreed to play some for me."

T'Pol gave him a grateful glance.

"Levar's family have contacted me about the strange happenings these last few days. They told me a man is staying with you. You are playing music loudly and their son observed you touching and dancing with a man last night."

T'Pol took a deep breath and tried to quell her anger at the spies next door.

"Charles is my friend and staying as a guest in our home. He has been teaching me the Earth custom of dancing," T'Pol explained. "And if Levar's family would pay more attention to their own children instead of me, two of their sons would not have been kicked out of the science academy for poor performance."

"T'Pol!" T'Les chastised.

"Is there a purpose to this communication mother?" T'Pol asked, her back stiffening.

"I am calling to see if what was reported to me is true," T'Les explained. "It's even worse then the report. You were smiling and laughing and touching the human…"

"Mother!" T'Pol chastised.

"I'm returning tomorrow to discuss this latest emotional issue," T'Les explained as she squared her shoulders. "I will be returning on the afternoon shuttle. I trust you can behave yourself until then?"

"Mother," T'Pol said annoyed.

"I look forward to meeting you as well, Mr. Tucker," T'Les said as she eyed the man.

Trip put on his best smile. "I look forward to it as well, ma'am."

The comm then disconnected.

"T'Pol, I'm sorry I got you in trouble, I…"

T'Pol then turned and before he could get out another word she kissed him soundly.

He was taken aback by the sudden attack, and stumbled backwards slightly bringing her with him. She continued to kiss him unreservedly and he responded, wrapping his arms around her back and deepening the kiss. When her hands started to pull at the shirt covering him he was taken by surprise; kissing T'Pol was unexpected enough.

"T'Pol," he said as he stepped away from her. "What's going on here?"

"I'm offering myself to you," T'Pol said as she stepped toward him, catlike.

"I can see that, and I'm very interested, but I think this has to do more with your mother then it does with me," Trip said as he met her eyes.

"Are you not sexually attracted to me?" T'Pol said as she touched his chest.

"I am," he conceded.

"I am sexually attracted to you," T'Pol admitted. "And when two adults are sexually attracted to each other, the logical conclusion is for them to have sexual relations."

"It is," Trip said with knitted eyebrows. Her damn logic was hard to argue with. "But…"

"My mother has prompted my action, but my desire to have sexual relations with you has been present for several months," T'Pol admitted. "As has yours."

"How would you know…?"

"I can smell your pheromones," T'Pol explained as she kissed his neck.

"What?" Trip asked confused as he leaned into her kiss.

"When we are near each other, your pheromones rise and you give off a particular scent that is meant to attract me," T'Pol explained as she ran her hands up his chest under his shirt.

"Oh," Trip sighed as she reached his nipples and all the hair on his body stood up.

"We would be very good at this," T'Pol said softly as she kissed along his jaw. "We are both physically fit, we dance well together, you are attracted to me and I am attracted to you…"

"You're…you're making a solid case and…" Trip stammered as her hands left his chest and skimmed over his ass.

"The fraternization policy does not apply because we are equal rank," T'Pol said softly as she reached around to the front of his pants. "You and I could have a deeply satisfying sexual relationship that would ease our tension and stress as we search for the Xindi."

Trip huffed above her and she fondled him through his pants; he grew incredibly hard under her ministrations.

He then leaned down and kissed her passionately as he started to roam her body with his hands. She had beautiful curves and striking angles on different parts of her body which, when put together, added up to one gorgeous woman.

They kissed for quite some time as music played loudly around them and their food cooled on the table. Finally, deciding in his lust-frenzied brain that sleeping with T'Pol was a good course of action, Trip walked them both toward her bedroom and carefully laid her out on the bed and then methodically removed each piece of clothing before he covered her bare skin with kisses, licks and bites. She writhed underneath him in ecstasy and moaned like he'd never heard a woman moan before; especially when he started to work her folds with his mouth. She, in turn stripped him of his garments and proceeded to attack each part of his body with vigor. He did not know his knees were erogenous zones until T'Pol had spent some time on them. Eventually, after many hours of exploration they coupled and climaxed incredibly fast; embarrassingly fast. Trip apologized before they fell asleep and then woke her a couple of hours later to make slow passionate love to her. He took his time bringing her to orgasm twice, combining sexual knowledge with neuropressure before he released himself into her. In the morning, they woke in a tangle of limbs and sheets and sweat as the sun beat down on them from the unshaded window.

"Let me," T'Pol said as she rose slightly drew the shade, bringing the room into darkness and coolness.

Trip sighed in relief and laid his head back down on the pillow. "Thank god for shades."

T'Pol lay on the pillow next to him and he knew she was ruminating over the events of the last night even as her breast leaned against his chest and her leg lay between his.

"You know Jerry Lee Lewis married his thirteen-year-old cousin?" Trip asked her suddenly.

"Who is this man?" T'Pol asked.

"The man who sang the song we were dancing to last night," Trip volunteered.

"Isn't thirteen pre-pubescent?" T'Pol asked.

"Just because he was a great singer didn't mean he wasn't a pervert," Trip chuckled.

T'Pol thought about what he'd said for a minute before she spoke.

"Billie Holliday was an alcoholic," she added.

"Maybe that's why she sang so well," Trip said as she stretched slightly beneath her. "She had lots of material to work with."

T'Pol nodded.

"Our actions last night may have been prompted by rebellion against by mother, but they were not something I hadn't thought through," T'Pol stated softly. "I had been considering a sexual relationship with you for some time, and I don't regret our actions."

"I don't regret last night either," he said before he kissed the top of her head and pulled her in a little closer.

"I enjoy your company above all other humans," T'Pol admitted as she turned a darker shade of olive. She was drawing light circles on his hairy chest. Vulcan men, to her knowledge, did not have hairy chests.

"I didn't make the Vulcan cut?" Trip chuckled deeply.

"I'm sorry?" She asked for clarification.

"You said you like me best out of the humans," Trip said, shifting so he could see her face. "The assumption then follows that there are Vulcans you prefer to me."

T'Pol said nothing for a long moment.

"I was just teasing you T'Pol," Trip smiled down at her. "Being at the top of your human list is good enough for me."

She smiled slightly into his chest, he could feel it against his skin but couldn't see it from this angle.

"What are your plans for today?" Trip asked.

"I need to meditate, pack to return to Enterprise, and have an uncomfortable discussion with my mother," T'Pol said as she shifted away from him and sat up moving to the edge of her bed.

"Do you want me to get out of the way in the afternoon?" Trip asked as he slowly sat up and moved his legs to the other side of her bed, dangling them toward the floor.

"She'll be here anytime," T'Pol said plainly as she stood and walked toward her silk bathrobe. The alarm in her voice was apparent.

"What do you mean anytime?!" Trip asked alarmed.

"She will arrive on the morning transport citing a last-minute opening; in reality that was the transport she would have booked" T'Pol said as she did up the tie to her robe. "Do you wish to shower first?"

"Shit, T'Pol" he said as he rose quickly and gathered his clothes. "Why didn't you say?"

"I didn't realize the time until I sat up," she admitted. "I have no desire for her to find us this way so it would be best if you showered quickly while I cleaned up. Is that music still playing?"

"The music and our dinner is still sitting out. Hey, I thought Vulcans didn't lie?" Trip asked as he walked naked from her room towards the washroom.

"Vulcan mothers do," T'Pol said sadly before she leaned over and started to quickly make her bed.

She then heard the shower start and she walked quickly to the common room where she turned off the music and gathered the dishes, dumping all the uneaten food into the compost. She scraped the plates and left them to soak before she quickly walked back to her room and pulled on some clothes. It was as she was doing up her pants that she heard the front door open; Trip was still in the washroom and she hadn't finished getting ready.

T'Pol finger combed her hair and took a deep breath before she walked from her room into the common room to greet her mother.

"Mother?" T'Pol asked as she stepped out.

"There was an opening on the morning transport so I, logically, took it," T'Les said as she eyed her daughter. "It was illogical to leave my conference early but considering what Levar's family has told me…"

"I am not a child," T'Pol said as she approached her mother and took her bag from her.

"No, you are not," T'Les said as she looked at her daughter carefully. "Who is this human staying here?"

"I told you, his name is Commander Charles Tucker the third and he is the Chief Engineer on Enterprise," T'Pol explained. "He is my friend and I…"

"Do you have sexual relations with all of your friends now?" T'Les asked as the shower turned off.

"Mother," T'Pol chastised.

"I can smell him on you," T'Les said with disdain.

"My private life is none of your concern," T'Pol said as her back stiffened. "And I would appreciate it if you were not rude to our guest."

"Have you abandoned all your Vulcan ways? Have you become intoxicated by loose human morals and…"?

"Mother!" T'Pol chided her strongly.

"Where is my daughter?" T'Les asked angrily. "You need to stay on Vulcan and find your way back to our culture, our ways."

"I am Vulcan and I embrace many of our ways but…"

"Do you hear yourself?! I embrace _many_ of our ways? You are either Vulcan or you are not!" T'Les yelled.

T'Pol, taken aback by her mother's outburst didn't know how to reply.

"What is wrong mother?" T'Pol asked, looking at her mother carefully.

"Nothing," T'Les turned her back to her daughter.

"I have never witnessed an outburst like that from you," T'Pol noted.

"You are abandoning all your father and I have taught you," T'Les said, her back still to T'Pol.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," T'Pol said carefully. "I don't think your conclusion is accurate but…"

"Is he worth it?" T'Les asked as she turned to face her daughter again.

"It's not about him," T'Pol said confused. "It's about me discovering who I am. And mother, I like dancing. And I enjoy the company of humans. And I care a great deal for this man. I am still Vulcan in my core, but I don't believe I cannot also appreciate other cultures and embrace them as well."

"That is not the Vulcan way," T'Les reminded her.

"No," T'Pol agreed. "But it's my way."

She turned on her heel to take her mother's bag to her room and saw Trip standing in the doorway to the washroom frozen.

"Mother," T'Pol said carefully. "This is Commander Charles Tucker the third."

T'Pol secretly hoped her mother wouldn't say anything inappropriate.

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Trip said as he approached the woman and stopped before her with a nod.

"You are young," T'Les said softly as she looked at the man before her; he had appeared older when she called last night.

"I'm thirty-three, ma'am," Trip said with a smile. "Probably quite young for a Vulcan, but not so young for a human."

"How do you like Vulcan?" T'Les asked him.

"It's quite pretty here," Trip said unsure. "I'm usually not a fan of deserts but this one suits me just fine."

"Has my daughter been an adequate host?"

"She has made me some wonderful Vulcan food while I've been here and given me time to just be on my own," Trip said softly. "I lost my sister recently and, well, it's been a challenge on a starship to get that time."

Her eyes immediately fell to the ground; she no longer hated the young man.

"I grieve with thee," T'Les said kindly.

"Thank you, ma'am," Trip smiled sadly at her.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence.

"Charles has fixed all of your appliances," T'Pol offered. "They are now working at maximum efficiency."

T'Les looked at him surprised.

"It kept me busy," Trip offered.

"Thank you, Mr. Tucker, for your…thoughtfulness," T'Les said softly. "I need to unpack but possibly we could enjoy the noon meal together?"

"I would really like that ma'am," Trip smiled broadly.

Eating with T'Pol's mother had not been as arduous as he expected. They talked a lot about T'Pol's father who had been a designer and was responsible for some of the Vulcan ships currently exploring space. She knew a great deal about his designs and some of the issues he'd had with warp engines—topics Trip could identify with. T'Pol booked them on the afternoon transport to leave a day early and she seemed to part well with her mother. Surprising after the huge argument they had that morning.

"I called Malcolm and told him we'd see them tomorrow," Trips said as they settled into their seats.

"Did you make arrangements for us to stay separately?" T'Pol asked him surprised. She had assumed they would be staying with the rest of the crew and shuttling back tomorrow with their party.

"No," he said as he rubbed his chin. "Ensign Farkas is starting runs up to the ship tonight so I put our names on the one at 21:00."

She nodded approvingly.

"I figured you'd want to get up and settle in before everyone else," Trip said before he reached into his pack for a PADD.

"Very astute observation," T'Pol noted as she too reached for her own PADD. Then a thought occurred to her. "If we don't go back to the ship until 21:00 and this shuttle arrives at 15:00, what are we going to do for six hours?"

"Ah, I thought you'd eventually do the math," he chuckled as he leaned into her slightly. "I was hoping we could visit that caves, according to the information I have, they are nearby?"

"You are correct," T'Pol said softly.

"And there's a restaurant there that is well rated," Trip added.

"You've put a lot of thought into this," T'Pol said with a raised eyebrow.

"It's our first date, T'Pol," he winked at her. "Of course, I have."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: This story is set after North Star in season 3. It is part of an on-going Trip/T'Pol Shore Leave series that I'm writing. I know Archer was looking forward to leaving the North Star settlement but I imagine they spent a few days there before they shipped out to exchange information and allow the crew some shore leave (at least in my world they did!)**

 **I own nothing, Paramount does. I don't make any money from this—I just do it for fun! Please read and review.**

XXX

"When are you finished today?" Trip asked cautiously as he leaned into her personal space.

T'Pol looked from side to side, wondering why he was being so secretive.

"I should be done in sixty to seventy minutes depending on…"

"Ok," Trip said with a smile. "Meet me at the stables where we got the horse."

"Why?" T'Pol asked.

"Just meet me," Trip whispered before he walked away from her.

She watched his retreating form confused. Usually when Trip did something secretive it led to difficulties. He had, in fact, been behaving strangely for the better part of this afternoon.

T'Pol looked around at the Enterprise crew members who were wondering around the western-style town. They had identified themselves, nearly been killed, and resolved the situation two days ago. Enterprise was breaking orbit tonight and would be back on the Xindi mission as of 22:00. Most of T'Pol's time had been spent sharing information with the people of North Star. The captain had stayed aboard Enterprise giving tours and talking about Earth to the leaders of the North Star society. Other crew members had been free to ride horses, camp, go to the saloon, and interact freely with the residents. Most crew members were thrilled with the opportunity to live in the wild west, if only for a few days.

As 16:00 approached T'Pol finished her last task and thanked Mr. Gilberts, the local scientist, for his work then she looked toward the stables. She should probably just board the next transport to Enterprise and not meet him as she sensed, he had something devious planned.

Since he had stayed with her on Vulcan, things had been the same, yet different between them. To, she was sure, everyone else onboard Enterprise, they were merely friends. Friends who ate together, took part in neuropressure sessions, attended films, and occasionally worked out together. In fact, since her relationship with Trip had become sexual, they argued a great deal less.

But privately, things had become…heated. Neuropressure sessions frequently ended with sexual activity, and T'Pol was sure that was not the intent according to Vulcan custom. He had come to her a couple of times during shift to arrange a time to meet and, after one particularly bothersome movie about a gambling, T'Pol had walked him to his quarters and followed him inside, undressing him the moment the door slid shut behind her. Trip initiated sex far more frequently than she did, but she was never averse to the act itself. She had to admit, if only to herself, that she quite enjoyed sexual relations with Trip.

T'Pol looked between the stables and the shuttle and closed her eyes sighing as she made her choice. When she got to the putrid smelling establishment she saw him waiting around the corner feeding a horse a carrot.

"I thought you were going to ditch me," Trip smiled at her.

"I considered it," T'Pol admitted.

Trip laughed and fed the rest of the carrot to the horse before he attached a satchel and got up on the horse, offering her his arm.

"You have already proven that your horse wrangling skills are less then stellar," T'Pol said as she eyed him.

"It's not far," Trip said as he shook his hand for her to grasp.

T'Pol walked toward him and mounted the horse with his assistance sitting behind him and wrapping her arms firmly around his middle.

"Do you have a plan for other crew members to not see us like this?" T'Pol asked with an arched eyebrow.

"There's a back door," Trip smirked as he encouraged the horse forward.

She obeyed far better than the last one they borrowed from this stable and Trip showed improvement on his horse handling abilities.

"I read a couple of articles and watched a video," he said, answering her question before she even asked it.

She nodded and said nothing as he led them down a back laneway and out of town.

"The last shuttle is at 21:00," T'Pol warned him as they got further and further away from town.

"We'll make it," Trip said as they started up a small hill.

"Can I inquire as to where you are taking me?" T'Pol asked.

"It's a surprise," Trip said over his shoulder.

Sure, she wasn't getting any more answers, she settled in for the ride and observed her surroundings. Their last ride had been out on the other side of town so this area was quite unfamiliar to either of them.

"Are you sure you know where you are going?" T'Pol asked him as the houses disappeared and the terrain became more rugged.

"Yes," he said slightly annoyed. "You know, surprises are usually considered romantic."

T'Pol thought about his comment.

"A heart attack is a surprise and it is not romantic," T'Pol countered.

Trip sighed heavily. "When a man surprises a woman with a romantic date involving a horse and a picnic by a lake it's usually considered romantic."

T'Pol thought about what he'd said again.

"If that is what we are doing, then I concur that it is a romantic gesture," she surmised.

"Thank god," Trip mumbled through gritted teeth.

"Has the surprise now been spoiled by your admission?" T'Pol asked.

"Kinda, yes," Trip huffed.

"Then I promise next time you tell me it's a surprise I will not question you so readily," T'Pol said as she laid her head against his back slightly.

"Thank you," Trip grumbled.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the destination and they dismounted the horse. Trip took the satchel off the horse and laid out a blanket and some containers.

"This is an aesthetically pleasing location," T'Pol noted as she looked at the willow tree, the calm lake, the setting sun and the grassy slope he'd chosen.

"I thought so too," Trip said as he sat down and patted for her to join him.

"What have you brought us to eat?" T'Pol inquired, knowing he was still slightly annoyed with her. She was trying to make the situation better.

"Some baked good and apples," Trip said as he opened a couple of containers. "I know you will gripe about the caloric intake and unnecessary sugar content of…"

T'Pol reached into the container and took a bite of the pastry. "It's delicious."

"I can't believe you just did that," Trip smirked at her.

"Did what?" She inquired.

"I…I brought a couple of plates and some utensils because I thought you'd…"

"It appears I have surprised you as well," T'Pol said as she continued to eat the treat.

"You have," he smiled at her.

"Good," T'Pol said back.

Trip reached for a pastry himself and ate it contentedly.

"This spot reminded me of my uncle's house in Missouri," Trip said softly as he pointed out to the lake. "We'd have had a rope swing hanging from that tree across the way."

"A swing made of hemp, twine or…?"

"Nah, just thick rope with a big knot on the end that you could place your feet on," Trip explained. "Kept you from sliding off. Lizzie loved that swing."

T'Pol sensed his mood darken at the mention of his sister.

"Would she and I have got along?" T'Pol inquired.

The question surprised him and he crinkled his brow. She was not a woman to talk in possibilities.

"I think you would have scared her at first," Trip said. "You can be quite intimidating."

"But later?" T'Pol inquired, honestly curious.

"Lizzie liked things that were unique, appreciated structures, people, places that were…different," Trip said as he eyed T'Pol. "She would appreciate your uniqueness and come to like you quite a bit, I think."

T'Pol nodded her head.

"And she would have really liked your sarcasm," Trip chuckled. "Lizzie had a dark sense of humor."

T'Pol looked at him for a long time as his face lit up in remembrance of his sister. He liked to talk about her, as much as it also brought him pain.

"Tell me," T'Pol said as she settled back onto her elbows and stretched her feet out in front of her. "About one of her birthdays."

So, Trip told her about Lizzie's seventh birthday when their dad had rented a donkey for the kids to ride and Lizzie had not wanted to share it with the other children and thrown a fit. He laughed at the memory and then went on to tell T'Pol about a couple of his birthday parties, a few Thanksgivings and the time he was picked up by the local sheriff with some friends for mischief. He laughed and chuckled and smiled throughout the entire conversation and T'Pol found herself relaxing to the sound of his voice. They were fond stories of a fun childhood and a mischievous youth that was in keeping with his character. She could see how, after all these events and misadventures he'd become the man he was today; confident, jovial, intelligent, and adventurous.

Before they realized, darkness had fallen.

"Shit, we better get back," Trip said as he jumped to his feet. "I got talkin' so much I…sorry, T'Pol."

"I enjoyed listening," T'Pol said before she folded the blanket. "I should have stopped you but…you seemed to be quite happy."

"It was nice to…well, to talk about those times, remember Lizzie, my friends…" Trip smiled at her in the darkness, his eyes glittering in the night. "T'Pol…"

"Yes?" She asked.

She watched him step closer to her and then he was grasping her face in both his hands and looking at her intently.

"I love you T'Pol," he said softly as looked at her.

"Trip…" she gasped.

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips before he pulled back with his eyes still gleaming.

"I just needed you to know," he said in an almost whisper.

"I…I needed to know that," T'Pol stammered. She was shaking slightly against his hands as they held her face.

"Well, I'm…I'm glad I told you," Trip said back to her, slightly scared and confused.

"Ashaya," T'Pol exhaled. "I think of you as my ashaya."

Trip dropped his hands from her face to her arms and felt her entire body shaking beneath his hands. She was just as scared as he was in this moment.

"Ashaya?" Trip asked her, unsure of the Vulcan terminology or what it could mean. He was hoping it didn't mean 'acquaintance' or 'friend' or 'fuck-buddy' or…

"My love," T'Pol said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

She could see the smile spread across his face out of the corner of her eye.

"Vulcans don't…don't speak of these things," T'Pol said as her eyes darted from side to side.

"Then, we won't speak of it," Trip said softly before he pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and felt truly happy in that moment.

"OK," she said into his chest.

"From now on, we'll just know," Trip said quietly before he pulled back and pecked her on the lips.

They mounted the horse and slowly rode back to town, her arms clasped firmly around his body. They got lost twice but finally made it back to the shuttle just a few minutes before it was set to leave.

"Just in time," Ensign Hughes said when he saw them appear at the door.

"Sorry about that," Trip apologized as he held out a hand for T'Pol to get inside.

"Where were you two?" Malcolm's voice called from his seat.

"I had to collect some moss samples," T'Pol explained. "Commander Tucker rode me out to them."

"That was awfully nice of you Commander," Malcolm chimed.

"She can't ride a horse," Trip shrugged before he sat down beside T'Pol on a bench.

"I didn't know you rode?" Malcolm asked, his voice betraying his interest.

"Since I was a boy," Trip chuckled before he turned and winked at T'Pol.

XXX


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: This story is set after Harbinger in season 3. It is part of an on-going Trip/T'Pol Shore Leave series that I'm writing. It's AU because, first, they didn't take shore leave when I have placed it, and secondly, my ff basically changes the rest of the episode from Phlox telling T'Pol about Commander Tucker and Amanda Cole's neuropressure sessions. I know there was damage to the Warp engine (by Malcolm and the alien) so I'm thinking they stopped on a distant planet for repairs/supplies and enjoyed some shore leave in the process.**

 **I own nothing, Paramount does. I don't make any money from this—I just do it for fun! Please read and review.**

 **XXX**

T'Pol carefully watched the circuitry light up and sighed heavily. She was going to need to talk with Trip about the neuropressure sessions with Corporal Cole. She was quite disconcerted by this feeling of jealousy that seemed to overwhelm her as well as her anger toward him for not taking their relationship seriously. Perhaps it was a grave error to involve herself emotionally with a human?

"Dr. Phlox spoke with me about the neuropressure sessions you have been attempting with Corporal Cole," T'Pol said over her shoulder.

"Amanda?" Trip asked, slightly distracted by his own work.

"You should never, as a novice, perform neuropressure on another individual, you could cause nerve damage," T'Pol said as she continued to work.

"I perform it on you all the time," Trip said, still distracted.

"Under my observation," T'Pol said taking a deep breath through her nostrils. "You should cease the sessions."

There was no response from him and she turned slightly to see him standing with his hands on his hips just looking at her.

She raised an eyebrow to ask what was the issue.

"Are you saying this because I could hurt her, or because you don't like me doing something alone with her?" Trip asked with his eyes narrowed.

T'Pol turned to face him fully and straightened her back. "You have already caused her headaches. I am meeting with her in an hour to correct any issues."

"Amanda didn't say anything about headaches," Trip looked at her confused.

"Perhaps she didn't want to stop the sessions," T'Pol said before she turned back to her work to avoid his eyes. "You two have become rather…close, lately."

"She's from Florida," Trip supplied. "We've got a lot in common. We've eaten a few meals together…"

"She touched your behind during our training exercise," T'Pol said, hating that she'd shared this the moment it left her mouth.

"You do that in sports, T'Pol," Trip said as he sidled up next to her. "Guys hit each other on the ass in football all the time. It's a sign of comradery."

"Corporal Cole is not a 'guy'," T'Pol said as she met his eyes.

Suddenly awareness dawned on Trip. "You're jealous."

T'Pol straightened her back slightly. "I am not, I'm merely pointing out that your relationship with Corporal Cole is getting closer each day."

"T'Pol…" Trip started as he leaned into her slightly.

"Perhaps it was a mistake to become involved," T'Pol said as she backed away from him slightly. "As you point out, you have more in common with Corporal Cole, and she's obviously interested in you romantically and…"

"Now, wait a minute, T'Pol," Trip said as he stepped toward her and grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. "You've got it all backwards and…"

Just then, Lieutenant Hess walked into the area they were working in and Trip dropped T'Pol's arm. She stepped away from him and looked at her PADD.

"Commander, there's a reading from the warp coil that looks problematic," Lieutenant Hess said as she walked toward him.

"Uh, yeah," Trip stammered as he looked at T'Pol.

"I need to get these readings to the Captain," T'Pol said before she exited quickly.

XXX

"Thank you for seeing me today, Commander," Amanda Cole said as she walked into T'Pol's quarters.

"I am glad I can be of assistance," T'Pol said as she gestured for Amanda to sit on her bed. "I understand you have been experiencing headaches as a result of your neuropressure sessions with Commander Tucker?"

"I didn't realize the two were connected," Amanda admitted. "It feels really good at the time, but a couple of hours later…headache."

"Neuropressure should never be performed by a novice and Commander Tucker is not an expert, yet," T'Pol said as she started to work the neural nodes around Amanda's shoulders and upper back. "You should cease the sessions at once."

"I guess," Amanda said somewhat defeated. "He's a great basketball player, maybe we could start a team or something?"

T'Pol quelled the feeling of upset that was overtaking her. There was no way of stopping the progression of the romantic relationship between Trip and Corporal Cole. She'd either have to share him, as was common in some human relationships she'd read about involving multiple girlfriends or wives and mistresses, or step away and watch them pair off.

"You like him quite a lot," T'Pol said softly.

"What's not to like? He's handsome, smart, a gentleman…and he's got great arms. Ouch!"

"I apologize," T'Pol said as she realized she'd injured the MACO. "I will reduce the pressure."

She watched the MACO take a few deep breaths to quell the pain before she spoke again.

"I'm surprised he's not taken, frankly," Amanda said calmly. "He's quite the catch."

"Catch?" T'Pol inquired.

"Good boyfriend or husband material," Amanda clarified for her. "I know he had a girlfriend on earth who dumped him a few months into this mission, but when I asked him, he said he wasn't seeing anyone."

T'Pol nodded. They had kept their relationship a secret, so his response was the correct one. Then, why did it bother her so intrinsically?

"That should help with the headache," T'Pol said as she removed her hands from the MACO. "I will see you again in a week."

"These are ongoing?" Amanda asked, surprised.

"Commander Tucker can no longer perform neuropressure on you, so logically, I should," T'Pol said as she stood. As much as she didn't enjoy the task, it was her responsibility to ensure the MACO was uninjured.

"Uh, Commander, can I be honest with you?" Amanda hedged as she stood as well. "I only started this with Trip to get closer to him…have some alone time. I don't actually need neuropressure."

"Oh," T'Pol gasped slightly.

"But thanks for the offer," Amanda smiled at her before she left T'Pol's cabin.

T'Pol sat heavily on her bed after the Corporal left. Yes, becoming involved with a human was a mistake.

XXX

Trip had been searching for her all over the ship but when T'Pol wanted to hide, apparently, she could. He'd gone to her quarters for their scheduled neuropressure session and she hadn't answered the door. He used his override code, thinking she was sitting inside avoiding him and had walked into an empty cabin. They needed to talk about her assumptions about Amanda.

Frantically, he checked the science lab, engineering, the mess, Sick Bay, the observation lounge and even tried to casually walk onto the bridge under the guise of checking a system reading at the engineering station. He's quietly asked Hoshi to locate T'Pol on board because he needed to look at the data she'd collected earlier, and Hoshi had said the Commander had specifically asked not to be disturbed by anyone but the Captain so she couldn't assist him.

Trip sighed and walked into Jon's ready room, hoping to spend some time not thinking about how he may have royally fucked up his relationship with T'Pol. They watched a Water Polo match and drank some scotch but Trip was distracted and Jon knew it. When asked, he just shook his head in the negative and Jon left him to his brooding. A few hours later he went back to T'Pol's to see if she'd returned and she hadn't. Resigned that this issue was not getting resolved today, he went to his quarters where he found T'Pol sitting in his chair.

"Have you been here the entire time?" Trip asked, exasperated. "I've been looking for you all night!"

"I have just arrived," T'Pol said softly. "I believe we need to talk?"

"Yes, T'Pol," Trip said as he sat down on his bunk and looked at her. "I think you need all the facts and I don't want to be accused of hiding anything from you or…"

"I have decided, logically, that a relationship with a human was an incorrect choice and something we must stop," T'Pol said cutting him off.

"What?!" Trip gasped as she stood from his bunk.

"You have much more in common with human women, and I have more in common with Vulcan men, this romantic…experiment needs to stop."

"Experiment?!" Trip asked loudly.

"I'm sorry if this is unexpected but…" T'Pol began.

"You are jumping to conclusions about me and Amanda and making rash choices," Trip said as she stood with his hands on his hips in front of her, his breathing heavy.

"She is interested in you romantically," T'Pol said as she clasped her hands together on her knees. "She only said she needed neuropressure sessions to get close to you. She admires your…attributes."

"T'Pol, just because someone is interested in you, doesn't mean you are interested in them," Trip said exasperated. "When she kissed me, I was surprised and…"

"She kissed you?" T'Pol asked, surprised by the information.

"That's what I was just trying to tell you," Trip said. "I didn't want o keep it from you and…"

"I think it's clear that you would be better suited with a human who can understand the casualness of romantic involvement," T'Pol said as she stood and started to walk past him.

"Now, wait a minute!" Trip yelled as he stepped in front of her. "She kissed me! I didn't even see it coming and had I known…"

"Tactical Alert! All Senior Officers report to your stations!" The comm system squawked.

T'Pol pushed his shoulder slightly and walked purposefully toward his door.

"T'Pol, we still need to talk!" Trip called to her as he walked toward his closet and grabbed a uniform.

She said nothing, then left his quarters.

XXX

T'Pol sat uncomfortably in the shuttle to Geos. They had just dropped off some Enterprise crew who were going to enjoy a Shore Leave day on the planet while she and Trip went to a remote mining facility to barter for some parts they needed for the Warp repairs. The alien and Malcolm had severely damaged the engines and they were docked off a remote trading planet for at least a week while repairs were underway. The Enterprise had limped here for two days and repairs had finally started.

As soon as they lifted off and Trip set a course, he turned in his seat to face her.

"We need to talk," he said as he looked at her carefully.

It had been two days since their conversation in his quarters. They both had been so busy with Enterprise, neither had the time for anything personal, least of all a conversation about the end of their relationship.

"I believe there is little to speak of," T'Pol replied.

"T'Pol," he sighed. "I have been tied up in knots for days about this, and we need to clear the air."

She looked at his stricken face, his tired eyes and his downturned mouth and nodded. Perhaps all human relationships require some sort of 'talk' before they are dissolved.

"I want to be very clear here," Trip said as he held out his hands in front of him trying to reason with her. "I am not attracted to Amanda Cole. I do not wish to be in a relationship beyond friendship, with her, and the fact that she is interested in me caught me by surprise when she kissed me. I was planning to talk with you about it, and how to handle it when…well, when things got away from us."

T'Pol looked at him surprised; what he'd said was unexpected.

"I love you, and you have scared the shit out of me these last few days by saying that we needed to end this," Trip said as he met her eyes. "And I think it's because you are jealous, but you have nothing to be jealous of. I know relationships are new to you, and you're uncomfortable with unfamiliar territory, but you should have spoken with me."

T'Pol just stared at him; she didn't know what to say. Perhaps she hadn't been correct at all?

"Please say somethin' darlin' because I'm really scared here," Trip begged her.

T'Pol swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment; re-opening them when she spoke.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I believe I misjudged the situation and allowed my emotions to guide my decisions."

"You're not ditching me for some tall, dark, handsome Vulcan?" Trip asked, still slightly unsure.

T'Pol shook her head in the negative.

Trip rose from his seat and kissed her passionately. T'Pol returned his kiss unsurely, there were still some items she needed to clarify.

"What?" Trip asked, as he pulled back. He'd noticed her passion wasn't the same as his.

"You don't desire a human female, Corporal Cole, or otherwise?" She asked.

"I desire a very intelligent, beautiful, and frustrating Vulcan, named T'Pol," Trip said, his arms still wrapped around her waist. "That's the only person I desire."

"You will not be alone with her, or any other female who is interested in a romantic relationship with you?" T'Pol asked.

"Don't you trust me?" Trip asked, his brow furrowed.

"I don't trust myself," T'Pol said softly, not meeting his eyes.

"I will try, but you're going to have to trust me, T'Pol," Trip hedged.

She nodded in agreement then looked away from him and stepped back, walking toward the helm chair and placing her hands on the back of it.

"Vulcans do not have casual relationships," she said softly. "This isn't a casual or temporary relationship for me, and I…I, we haven't spoken about how you view this relationship. I desire complete honesty in your response, I don't want you to worry about how I will respond to what you say, or if it will harm our relationship. I need to know the truth."

There was a long silence in the cabin and she eventually turned to see him standing looking at her; she couldn't read his expression.

"If you'll have me," Trip said with a soft smile. "I'm yours, always, T'Pol."

She turned to look at him more fully.

"If I had a ring, I'd propose now, not very romantic, but…" Trip stepped forward and took her hands in his. "I love you, T'Pol of Vulcan. And I want to be with you until the day I die. Does that clarify how I view this relationship?"

She blinked twice before she spoke, he'd dumbfounded her.

"It does clarify how you view our relationship," she said softly. "Thank you."

Trip kissed her again and they broke apart as a voice came over the comm. "Clear for landing on deck 37."

Trip broke from her and pressed the comm button.

"Shuttle pod 1 acknowledges Deck 37 landing site," Trip said as T'Pol snaked her arms around his waist. She was feeling rather affectionate toward the man who said he'd commit his life to her.

"Roger that," the comm officer said back and then the link broke.

Trip turned in her arms and kissed her softly before she let him go and he then sat down to land the shuttle. Going to a remote mining facility with T'Pol was already looking like a nice escape for just the two of them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: As my Shore Leave series continues we arrive at the episode Home. Now this one is actual shore leave so there's no AU about that, but, big but, I just can't have T'Pol marry Koss. I just can't. So, although the shore leave is canon, everything else is AU. Remember, in my shore leave universe Trip & T'Pol have been carrying a romantic relationship from before Harbinger. All the characters belong to Paramount-I make no money from this. If you read it, please review it!**

XXX

"Is it just me or should I be checking my food for spit before I eat?" Trip asked as he looked around the dining compartment of the Vulcan transport vessel.

"Vulcans would not spit in your food," T'Pol explained as she lifted some salad to her mouth. "They would over or under season it."

"Well, under-seasoning it is. I've been living with bland food for two days," Trip sighed as he looked for some salt to shake into his soup. "I guess I should be grateful that Vulcans are too polite to spit."

T'Pol raised an eyebrow at his comment.

"I should have taken the next transport," Trip sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how this would…look."

"I invited you knowing exactly how my fellow Vulcans would receive us," T'Pol explained. "I am not surprised in the slightest. "

"Last time it was a Starfleet shuttle and we were orbiting, I know your mother didn't much like me but I didn't realize how little other Vulcans would think of me travelling in your cabin," Trip explained.

"It is my private business and none of their concern," T'Pol said as she caught a Vulcan at a table next to them looking at she and Trio curiously. "They should respect my privacy as I respect theirs."

"Easy to say, hard to do," Trip said. "It was nice that they finally cleaned our cabin at least."

"I will lodge a formal complaint about that," T'Pol explained. "We are no different then any other passenger and deserve the same service."

"You're really digging your feet in on this one, aren't you?" Trip smiled at her.

"I'm sorry?" She inquired.

"Just let them be biased assholes," Trip whispered. "It bothers me too, but lodging a formal complaint only draws attention to you and…"

"I am not embarrassed of my relationship with you," T'Pol interrupted him.

"I know you aren't, and I appreciate what you're trying to do, but…"

"Trip, I am lodging a complaint," she interrupted.

"Fine," he sighed. "I just think there are some fights you step into, and some you step out of."

They ate in silence for the remainder of their meal. As they were walking back to their cabin Trip caught T'Pol as she tripped over a loose floor panel.

Two Vulcan men passing then made admonishing noises.

"Are you okay?" Trip asked T'Pol as he helped her right herself.

"Thank you," T'Pol said as she looked at the men who had stopped next to them.

"You need to remember you are still Vulcan," the one man said to T'Pol; his tone patronising.

"What does that mean?" Trip asked, his eyebrows knitting as he let go of T'Pol.

"What are acceptable physical mating rights on earth are unacceptable on Vulcan," the one-man informed Trip. "You should refrain from fondling your mate in public."

"Fondling?!" Trip asked, flabbergasted.

"Trip…" T'Pol warned.

"I suppose on Vulcan you just let a woman fall flat on her face instead of help her?" Trip asked.

The two Vulcans just looked at Trip unaffected.

"Well, on Earth we try and keep people from hurting themselves," Trip explained. "Especially those we care for."

The two Vulcan men merely nodded their heads and walked past Trip and T'Pol.

Trip looked at T'Pol exacerbated.

"Perhaps we should spend the last day in our cabin," T'Pol said as they started to walk back towards their quarters.

"And let them think I've got you tied up like some kinda sex slave?" Trip asked as he looked back over his shoulder at the Vulcans walking in the other direction.

"I doubt their imaginations are that developed," T'Pol said calmly.

Trip looked at her and smiled. "Did you just crack a joke?"

Her eyes quickly darted toward him and then away.

Trip chuckled softly and covered his mouth.

"I've got a regular Groucho Marx as a girlfriend," he said as he hit the button to open their door.

"I do not have a moustache or eye glasses," T'Pol said confused.

"Just a joke darlin," Trip said as he gestured for her to go inside ahead of him.

XXX

"Your bed has not been slept in," T'Les said to her daughter one afternoon over tea. They had been at T'Les' home for two nights and T'Pol had crawled into bed with Trip in the guest room both nights.

"It has not," T'Pol countered.

"It is insidious," T'Les said.

"Only you are here, mother," T'Pol said. "Who else will know?"

"Someone could visit," T'Les explained.

"And if they visit and stay the night, then I will sleep in my own bed," T'Pol said thoughtfully. "I do not wish to embarrass you."

"It is uncomfortable for me," T'Les admitted.

T'Pol looked at her mother for a moment before replying. "Uncomfortable because you assume I am having sexual relations with him in your home? We are not. We are merely sleeping."

T'Les looked at her daughter surprised; she had grown bold in her time with humans.

"If you are uncomfortable, we are financially able to get a hotel room and…"

"And have half of the town speak of you and your human lover sharing a room?" T'Les asked, annoyed.

"I am merely stating a logical solution," T'Pol explained. "On Enterprise, we don't often get to wake with each other. We are merely enjoying that aspect of our vacation and I will not sacrifice it. So, we should get a hotel room."

"Don't be ridiculous T'Pol," T'Les scoffed.

T'Pol and her mother sat looking at each other and saying nothing for a long time.

"Stay," T'Les sighed. "I leave for training in a day and you'll do what you want then, anyways."

T'Pol said nothing in return; her mother was correct.

"Is he as serious as you are about this relationship?" T'Les asked, still intrigued by her daughter's relationship with the human.

"He is," T'Pol answered.

"How do you know?" T'Les asked. "He could be saying things to appease you. Humans do that."

"I know," T'Pol said assuredly. "I know as surely as I know I am your daughter."

T'Les looked at her surprised.

XXX

"I hypothesized you were still here," T'Lu said as she stood in front of T'Pol's mother's home. She had caught T'Pol as she was returning from getting fresh bread.

"My mother has travelled for training," T'Pol said politely. "She has been absent for 3 days"

"It is pleasant to see you," T'Lu bowed slightly. "I must apologize for my aunt and uncle the last time you were here."

"They felt it was their duty to report any issues," T'Pol said as she straightened her back. The last time she and Trip were on Vulcan, T'Lu's aunt and uncle called her mother at a conference to inform her of her daughter's off behaviour in T'Les' home.

"I saw you with your human friend earlier," T'Lu said as she looked over T'Pol's shoulder for a glimpse of the man the entire town had been speaking about.

"Commander Tucker is staying here presently," T'Pol nodded, she hoped T'Lu was not anti-human; she hadn't meditated enough to deal with that situation again.

"I have only met one human in my lifetime," T'Lu said as she looked at T'Pol knowingly. "Can I impose to meet your human?"

"Humans are not pets T'Lu, I do not own Commander Tucker," T'Pol said with some disdain.

T'Lu merely nodded and waited for T'Pol's response.

"Join us for tea?" T'Pol asked as she gestured toward her home.

"That is agreeable," T'Lu nodded before she walked in ahead of T'Pol.

T'Pol's eyes immediately scanned the room for Trip. She was hoping he wasn't walking around in his underwear or a towel; there was only so much a Vulcan stranger could take.

Then she heard a tool hit the floor and T'Pol looked toward the kitchen to see Trip's legs sticking out from under her mother's sink.

"Charles, there's a guest," T'Pol warned him as T'Lu stood by waiting to meet another human.

Trip ducked his head out from under the counter and looked between T'Pol and T'Lu then he smiled warmly.

"Nice to meet you," he said as he looked at T'Lu. "I'll be out in 30 seconds."

His head disappeared back under the sink and T'Pol shared a knowing glance with T'Lu; both of their internal clocks were ticking away the 30 seconds.

Like clockwork, exactly 30 seconds later, Trip's face emerged and so did the rest of his body before he stood and started to wipe off his hands with a rag. T'Pol closed her eyes for the barest of moments, he was in a fitted sleeveless top that left little to the imagination about his upper body definition.

Trip launched himself to standing and nodded at T'Lu, "Nice to meet you ma'am."

"And I you," T'Lu nodded back at him. "My aunt and uncle reside next door."

"Ahhh," Trip said as he exchanged a knowing look with T'Pol.

"I apologize for their...involvement…last time you visited," T'Lu said almost shyly.

"You are only the second human T'Lu has visited," T'Pol said informatively.

"Well, normally we aren't this dirty," Trip smiled at her. "If you ladies will excuse me, I'll just go get cleaned up."

T'Pol and T'Lu nodded and T'Pol watched T'Lu watch Trip leave the room. His fitted pants left little the imagination about his posterior as well.

"I will prepare the tea, please have a seat," T'Pol said before she started with the water and tea leaves.

T'Pol wanted to stay in the kitchen while the water heated but it was impolite, so she joined T'Lu in the common room.

"Are you still teaching at the junior science academy?" T'Pol inquired.

"Yes, I am preparing my year twos for their physics exam presently," T'Lu nodded. "They are lacking discipline, but are enthusiastic."

T'Pol nodded. The children were only eight years old and still not in complete control of their emotions yet.

"It must be a challenge," T'Pol said.

"I'd think working with humans all the time, more of a challenge," T'Lu said as she watched T'Pol. "At least Vulcan children know they should control their emotions. Humans, I have heard, can be quite volatile."

"They can," T'Pol admitted. "But the volatility is usually with cause. They, most of the time, are quite…placid."

"Hmmm," T'Lu said thoughtfully. "Has Koss visited?"

"Why would Koss visit?" T'Pol asked, her emotions by the surface.

"I heard through my aunt that he asked your mother how long you were visiting," T'Lu said. "Perhaps it is just to resolve the paperwork."

"Paperwork?" T'Pol inquired.

"Of the broken engagement," T'Lu explained plainly.

"I was unaware there was paperwork," T'Pol admitted.

"You are still, technically, engaged until it is filed," T'Lu explained. "Your mother should have informed you."

"My mother…" T'Pol started.

"I think I'm less offensive now," Trip smiled as he walked enthusiastically into the room washed and wearing clean clothes. He heard the water boiling. "I'll get the tea."

T'Pol and T'Lu sat awkwardly for a half minute.

"T'Pol I didn't mean to upset you," T'Lu said. "Your human seems agreeable. I'm sure Koss asked to resolve the paperwork."

"Yes," T'Pol said as she swallowed hard. "I'm sure that must be the case."

She watched as a smiling man walked into their common room with a tray filled with mugs and tea on it and she immediately wanted to leave Vulcan before anything happened to ruin this.

"So, who was the other human you met?" Trip asked as he handed T'Lu a mug.

"A visiting teacher came to the school to study Vulcan education methods," T'Lu explained. "Her name was Kayla Marcus-Wells"

"She stayed for a while?" Trip asked.

"I was with her for only 12.1 minutes," T'Lu said. "But she seemed agreeable."

"Well, you've already been around me for about 6 minutes," Trip said.

"It's now 7.3 minutes," T'Lu offered.

"So, you're on your way to breaking your record," Trip smiled warmly as he sat down next to T'Pol, far enough away so it wasn't unseemly.

"True," T'Lu said softly. "Where are you from on Earth?"

"I grew up in Florida, but my family lives a little bit of everywhere now," Trip sighed. "My parents are in Missouri, my sister is in Jordan, and my brother and his family are in Ireland."

"And you are in space," T'Lu finished for him.

"I am," Trip nodded as he crossed an ankle over his opposing knee.

"My entire family lives in this town," T'Lu explained. "For generations."

"Well, that's nice too," Trip offered. "You get to see your family all the time."

"T'Pol was the first woman from our town to leave for an extended period," T'Lu explained.

"Extended?" Trip asked T'Pol.

"Students leave for school but return, some Vulcans accept commissions on the other side of the planet but only for brief periods. Most Vulcans stay close to where they were born."

"You haven't," Trip noted.

"No, I have spent most of my life…not here," T'Pol explained.

"Lucky for me," he said softly. "Because I can't imagine us becoming friends if you never left this town. I don't get to Vulcan much."

T'Pol knew he was joking but his appropriate reference to her as a 'friend' in front of their guest, couldn't garner a response from her.

T'Lu looked at T'Pol and knew she was still thinking about Koss; she wished she'd never mentioned him because it tainted her visit with them.

"Do you see much of your family?"

"Not as much as I'd like," Trip said as he sensed T'Pol's dark mood. "But I signed up to be an explorer and that sorta comes along with the territory."

"Your title is Commander, the same as T'Pol's, what do you do on board the Starfleet vessel?" T'Lu asked.

Trip drank some tea and snuck a worried look at T'Pol, she didn't seem to be present in the conversation at all.

"I'm the Chief Engineer," Trip said, knowing he was going to have to wait until their guest left to find out what was wrong with T'Pol. "T'Pol is the XO and the Chief Science Officer. She has two roles on board. Scientific discovery and keeping people like me in line."

"T'Pol is your supervisor?" T'Lu asked.

"Yes, she's…" Trip started before pausing when T'Pol abruptly stood.

"Please excuse me T'Lu, I suddenly don't feel well," T'Pol said as she placed her mug down and stepped around Trip to go to the bedroom.

"T'Pol, do you need anything or…?" Trip asked, standing as well.

"I'm fine," T'Pol said as she turned to face him; her face a white sheet. "Please continue to entertain T'Lu in my absence."

Trip knitted his eyebrows together and watched her leave down the hallway to the bedrooms.

"I should go," T'Lu said as she stood and placed down her mug.

The gentlemanly part of Trip wanted to insist she stay so she could get more of her human questions answered. Another part of him wanted T'Lu to leave right away so he could check on T'Pol; her behaviour was so unusual.

"Uh, sure," Trip stammered. "I'll show you out."

Trip walked T'Lu to the door.

"It was nice meeting you T'Lu," Trip nodded.

"It was nice meeting my second agreeable human," T'Lu offered before she turned to leave. She stopped after a few steps and turned back toward Trip. "If either of you need anything please don't hesitate to contact me. Please apologize to T'Pol for me, I had no idea I was sharing unknown information."

"What?" Trip asked.

"Good day, Commander Charles Tucker," T'Lu said before she turned and walked away.

Trip shut the door and walked past the tea tray and into the bedroom they had been sharing. T'Pol was not in sight. He looked down the hallway to her childhood bedroom and walked toward it. That was where he found her packing her bags.

"T'Pol, I thought you weren't feeling well," Trip said surprised as he walked toward her.

"I'm not," she replied.

"Then why are you packing? We don't leave for…"

"I have booked us on this afternoon's transport," T'Pol said as she continued to fold her clothes and stuff them, somewhat angrily, into her duffle bag.

"What? Wait," Trip said as he pulled a garment from her hands and made her look at him. "What's happening here?"

"I wish to leave immediately," T'Pol offered as she met his eyes.

"Why?" Trip asked.

"I realized I would like to spend time on board Enterprise running diagnostics without a crew to…"

"Bullshit," Trip said.

"Excuse me?" T'Pol asked.

"You've been happier these last 3 days with your mother gone than you were the entire time she was here," Trip explained. "We have tickets to the museum for tomorrow and I made dinner reservations for…"

"You will have to call and cancel them," T'Pol said as she tried to wrench the bra he was holding from his fist.

"Just tell me what spooked you," Trip said when he finally released the bra and she fell back slightly from the force of her pull. "Is it too much time with me here? Do you want me to leave so you can be alone and…?"

"No," T'Pol said quickly as she met his eyes.

"Then what?" Trip asked as he placed his hands on his hips. "T'Lu said to apologize for sharing 'unknown information'? Whatever that means…"

The shock on T'Pol's face told him he had the right spot.

"So?"

T'Pol sighed and sat heavily on the edge of her childhood bed. Trip, sensing this was a longer conversation, sat next to her and took her hand in his.

"Whatever it is darlin'," he said softly. "We always do better when we're on the same page. I can't help you if I don't…"

"I am still engaged to Koss," T'Pol blurted suddenly.

"What?" Trip asked confused.

"Koss was the man my family…" T'Pol started to explain, thinking he didn't remember.

"Oh, I remember him," Trip said. "But you broke off your engagement a couple of years ago, right?"

"I thought I did," T'Pol explained. "I was unaware there was paperwork to file. My mother didn't afford me that information."

"What?" Trip asked, the anger in his voice coming through.

"Until the paperwork is filed, I am engaged to Koss," T'Pol explained.

"So, file the damn paperwork!" Trip said.

"It's not that easy," T'Pol hedged.

"How not that easy?" Trip asked.

"Koss would have to agree and sign the dissolution," T'Pol said. "If he didn't agree, I would be expected to marry him."

"That's…that can't be…"

"It's Vulcan law," T'Pol said with a sigh. "I briefly looked at the law when I came to my room. Maybe with further study I could ascertain a way to…"

"You are hell bent on leaving so you can run from this?" Trip asked as he twisted his body to look at her more fully.

"Until I have time to study the law further, it is the logical solution," T'Pol explained.

"How is running away logical? You're still engaged to Koss," Trip said as he let go of her hand and wiped at his mouth. "You need to dissolve this."

"I agree," T'Pol nodded. "In time."

"Has he contacted you?" Trip asked.

"No," T'Pol began.

"The guy is engaged to you for 2 years and hasn't once contacted you? I'm sure he's moved on, T'Pol," Trip smirked. "Just have him over for tea and get the paperwork signed."

"T'Lu informed me he had asked my mother about my stay," T'Pol said. "And two years without contact isn't long in the life of a Vulcan."

"So, you think he still means to marry you?" Trip asked surprised.

"It is possible," T'Pol nodded. "I do not wish to stay on Vulcan and find out."

Trip shook his head in the negative. "You need to deal with this, T'Pol."

"I will," she said as she took his hand. "I just can't gamble that he's looking to dissolve while I am on the planet. If he wishes to marry, Vulcan law states I must. I do not wish to have that happen."

"You and me both," Trip said as he closed his eyes. "So, we run? Like we are embarrassed or doing something wrong?"

"Just until I can contact him safely out of this system and ascertain if he wishes to dissolve," T'Pol explained. "You and I are merely being logical. I am not embarrassed or wrong in my commitment to you."

She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed his lips softly. "Please Trip, trust that I know what to do on my planet, just as you know what to do on yours."

He looked into her soft eyes and nodded. He didn't like sneaking off like cowards, but he'd like her marrying Koss even less.

Two hours later, they were on board a shuttle bound for the Vulcan transfer station. Four hours after that, they were on board a Vulcan Transport bound for Jupiter Station. In three days, they would be back on-board Enterprise and then T'Pol would have to get her engagement dissolved; there was no other option.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: As my Shore Leave series continues we arrive at the episode The Forge. I'm thinking that Trip needs to go with T'Pol to find her mother. So, this isn't really shore leave…it's more of a rescue mission, but one where their relationship is revealed. This part will have a few chapters so check back in a bit for more.**

 **Remember, in my shore leave universe Trip & T'Pol have been carrying a romantic relationship from before Harbinger. All the characters belong to Paramount-I make no money from this. If you read it, please review it!**

 **XXX**

"What are you doing here?" T'Pol asked Koss when he appeared at her door.

"Is that any way to greet your intended?" Koss asked before he stepped inside and she moved to the side.

He walked into her room and looked around at the décor.

"You have many possessions," Koss said. "You seem to have moved in permanently."

"This has been my home for four years," T'Pol noted.

"Four years too long," Koss said as he turned to face her more fully.

"I'm sorry?" T'Pol asked.

"It is time for you to return to Vulcan and become my wife," Koss said.

"We are no longer engaged," T'Pol replied. "Why have you come here?"

"Your mother," he said as he reached into his robe and pulled a box from it. "Asked me to give this family heirloom to you."

T'Pol looked at the IDIC and turned away from him so he wouldn't see any signs of confusion on her face.

"Why didn't she give this to me herself?" T'Pol asked as she box and placed it on her night stand.

"She went into hiding with the other syrannites," Koss explained.

"What do you mean 'other'?" T'Pol asked.

"She's a syrannite, T'Pol," Koss said as he stepped toward her. "Which is why you need to marry me immediately. To protect yourself."

"Excuse me?" T'Pol asked.

"When it is discovered that your mother is a syrannite, the High Command…"

"And marrying you will allow me to continue with Starfleet?" T'Pol interrupted.

"No, once we are married your career with Starfleet will be complete. But, you will not be ostracized from Vulcan society," Koss explained.

"Koss, we are no longer…"

Just then, the door to her room buzzed.

T'Pol looked toward the door and back at Koss.

"Come in," T'Pol called.

In stepped Trip Tucker looking annoyed.

"Commander Tucker," T'Pol said as she looked between him and Koss.

"I heard there were some Vulcan visitors on board and I thought I'd pop by to meet your friends," Trip said as he stepped toward Koss. "Commander Charles Tucker."

"I am Koss of Vulcan," Koss replied with a nod. "T'Pol's intended."

"Oh, that one," Trip said with a smirk.

Koss looked between Trip and T'Pol confused.

"I spoke with Commander Tucker about our broken engagement," T'Pol noted.

"It is not broken," Koss said as he stepped toward T'Pol a little.

T'Pol shifted her feet uncomfortably.

"The Captain asked me to bring you to the shuttle," Trip told Koss. It was a lie, T'Pol could tell, but Koss didn't need to know. "Commander T'Pol is needed in the situation room."

T'Pol looked at him relieved.

"Of course," Koss nodded. He stepped toward T'Pol and reached for her hand. She pulled it back forcefully and stepped away from him.

"We'll speak of arrangements soon," Koss said before he stepped toward her door.

Trip exchanged a knowing look with T'Pol and walked out of her room behind Koss.

XXX

"It's a map," T'Pol said just as Trip entered the Captain's ready room.

"Trip?" Jon inquired.

"Uh, T'Pol asked me to join you," Trip stammered as he looked toward T'Pol.

"Oh, uh, sure, come on in," Jon said uncomfortably. Usually T'Pol gave him the information before it was shared with Trip.

"It's a map?" Trip asked, trying to get everyone back on track and break the tension that seemed to start.

"Koss said it was a gift from my mother, an heirloom," T'Pol explained. "It is not."

"How is it a map?" Jon asked as he leaned over the necklace.

T'Pol activated the IDIC button and a three-dimensional map appeared above it.

"It's a desert called The Forge," T'Pol explained. "She wants me to find her."

"And T'Pau will be with her?" Jon asked.

"I believe so," T'Pol said softly.

"We need to go," Jon said as he looked at her seriously.

"I need to go," T'Pol corrected him. "And I would like to take Commander Tucker with me."

"Trip?" Jon asked, confused.

"He's met my mother; she will trust him," T'Pol noted. "And, you are needed here."

Jon looked between Trip and T'Pol confused and annoyed.

"When did you meet her mother?" Jon asked Trip; turning his body to face him more fully.

"Uh, the last couple of times we were on Vulcan," Trip said as he cleared his throat. "T'Pol invited me to stay with her."

Jon's eyebrows shot up. "A couple of times?"

Trip exchanged an uncomfortable look with T'Pol.

"Captain, Commander Tucker and I are romantically involved," T'Pol said simply.

Trip closed his eyes. They had not discussed sharing this with Jon.

"What?!" Jon gasped.

Trip cleared his throat and looked at his feet.

"The two of you are involved?" Jon asked surprised. "How long?"

"About a year and a half," Trip sighed.

"Nineteen months and 11 days, to be exact," T'Pol added.

"Almost two years?!" Jon said loudly.

Trip just nodded as T'Pol looked at The Captain without emotion.

"You didn't think this was something my second and third in command should disclose to their Captain?" Jon asked, annoyed.

"Honestly sir," Trip started as he looked at T'Pol for help.

"Captain, we weren't sure how serious our relationship was until recently," T'Pol interrupted as she met Trip's eyes.

"I take it, that it's serious now?" Jon asked, his voice softening.

"Yes, sir," Trip said seriously as he looked at Jon.

Jon gave Trip a small smile and knitted his brows together. "Why have you kept this secret from me though?"

"Captain, we didn't want Starfleet to separate us," T'Pol explained. "We realize that now it is your duty to report…"

"I'm not reporting anything," Jon said with a shake of his head. "For the last two years…"

"Nineteen m…" T'Pol started but stopped when Trip touched her arm.

Jon noticed the contact and gave Trip a small smile.

"For the last two years," Jon continued. "You two have functioned well as a Command team. I cannot recall one incident where your relationship compromised this ship. You have both obviously discovered the right balance between professional and personal."

Trip smiled at him broadly; he was grateful Jon didn't allow any jealousy to dictate how he dealt with them.

"So, unless and until there is something to report…I don't plan to inform Starfleet of any relationship," Jon smiled at them. "And this conversation didn't happen in any official capacity. But, on a personal level, I must say…. I'm surprised."

"Surprised?" Trip asked.

Jon looked at them confused.

"My highly emotional human engineer and my stoic Vulcan first officer?" Jon chuckled. "I didn't see that coming."

Trip chuckled with him. "Trust me, I didn't see it coming either."

Jon clapped Trip on the back. "Congratulations are in order. I'm very happy for the two of you."

"Thank you, Jon," Trip nodded as he smiled at his friend.

"T'Pol, I'm surprised by your very illogical choice to pair yourself with this man," Jon smiled at his first officer.

"It didn't begin as the most logical of choices," T'Pol agreed.

"Begin?" Jon and Trip asked at the same time.

"It was highly illogical to become involved with you," T'Pol said as she looked at Trip. "But now that I care for you a great deal, it is very logical to remain involved."

"Well, there you go Captain," Trip said with a huge smile. He couldn't help but feel incredibly proud of her admission.

"T'Pol, you romantic," Jon joked.

"I do enjoy both our romantic and sexual interactions a great deal," T'Pol answered, unaware that Jon wasn't hinting for more information.

Jon cleared his throat and Trip's face went ten shades of red.

"Did I say something inappropriate?" T'Pol asked.

"Jon wasn't asking about our private life, T'Pol," Trip offered.

"Oh," T'Pol swallowed hard. "I apologize for my inappor…"

"No need," Jon said as he vigorously shook his hands before T'Pol. "But I'm happy you are…pleased."

The room suddenly fell into silence as Trip shifted awkwardly, Jon looked closely at the 3-dimensional map and T'Pol looked out the port window.

"So, are you ready to take on another desert Trip?" Jon inquired.

"I'll have to be," Trip said as he stepped closer to the map. "Storms?"

"Yes, severe enough to prohibit communication devices and phase guns," T'Pol explained.

"Heat?" Jon asked.

"At this time of year? Between 34 and 44 degrees centigrade," T'Pol offered.

Trip gasped and shook his head.

"Can we drop you both down close to this location?" Jon asked as he pointed to the map.

"No," T'Pol noted. "The atmosphere would disable the shuttle thrusters in that region and the transporter would not work."

"So how close can we get?" Trip asked, leaning in to the map.

"We can get left here," T'Pol said as she pointed at the map. "We'll have to go in on foot the remainder of the way. Once we get to the caves, it will cool significantly."

Trip nodded and looked closely at the map.

"Sure you'll be okay?" Jon asked Trip before he looked at T'Pol. "Trip generally doesn't do well in deserts."

"I'll be fine," Trip nodded. "We should get down there right away though."

"Agreed," T'Pol nodded. "I will prepare our supplies."

Trip nodded. "I'll get some clothes and meet you down in the cargo bay for more supplies."

Jon and T'Pol nodded and watched him walk from the room.

"Watch out for him," Jon said as soon as the door shut behind Trip. "He really doesn't do well in deserts."

"I will Captain," T'Pol nodded before she stepped toward the door.

"T'Pol," Jon called out to her.

She turned to face him.

"Take care of Trip's heart too," Jon said as he met her eyes. "He may seem quite experienced in matters of the heart but…he goes all in when it comes to relationships, and can get hurt real easily."

"I have no intention of harming Commander Tucker, ever," T'Pol said softly. "He is my th'hy'la Captain."

Jon nodded and gave her a soft smile.

XXX

"We will need more hydration units," T'Pol said as she pulled some things from his pack and replaced them with hydration units.

"And I need some tools just in case," Trip said as he pulled out a couple of hydration units and shoved his tools back inside.

"Just in case?" T'Pol asked with a raised eyebrow.

"An Engineer is never caught without his tools," Trip sighed as he made eye contact. They had been arguing about what to bring for the last hour and Travis had been pretending not to listen as he readied the shuttle.

"Half your tools and two more hydration units," T'Pol compromised.

Trip drew his lips together tightly and squinted at her.

"Ready to go when you are, Commanders," Travis called to them, hoping to quell the arguing.

"Deal," Trip sighed as he rifled through his tools and pulled out the most important ones to pack.

T'Pol nodded and comm'd the Captain. "Permission to leave Captain?"

"Be safe you two," Jon's voice sounded over the comm. "We'll try and track you from here but we're not counting on a lot of clear sky. As soon as you get to T'Pau please find a communication device to contact us."

"Trust me Captain, we won't stay one minute longer in the desert than we have to," Trip called over T'Pol's shoulder.

Jon laughed over the comm and the communication ended.

"Okay Travis, get us down there," Trip said to him before he threw his pack in the shuttle and stepped inside.

T'Pol secured her bag over her shoulder and followed him inside the shuttle as well.

XXX

They had been walking all day. T'Pol had explained the significance of the Gateway to the Forge to Trip but they'd said little else as they journeyed through unbearable heat further and further into the Forge. When the suns started to set Trip felt the first wave of relief roll over his body; the oppressive heat of the day was disappearing.

"We should take high ground for the night," T'Pol said as she pointed toward a large hill.

"Why up top?" Trip asked, his body depleted of energy.

"Shelats cannot climb," T'Pol explained before she started the climb. Trip just shook his head and followed; she was going to have to explain what a Shelat was when they finally stopped for the day.

Another thirty minutes later they were at the top of the hill and T'Pol was finally taking off her pack and indicating that this was where they were going to rest for the night.

"You need to eat," T'Pol said as she watched him slowly lower himself onto the dirt ground.

"I won't argue with you there darlin'" Trip smiled at her as he reached into his pack for food and water. "You need to as well."

T'Pol nodded and they ate a small but nutritionally packed meal as they sat in the quiet of the hills surrounding them.

"Why don't I take the first watch?" Trip asked as he watched her pull out a sleep sack from her bag.

"As I am better in the early morning hours, I will agree to that schedule," T'Pol said softly.

"Hey, what's a Shelat?" Trip asked her.

"Vulcans have domesticated Shelats as pets," T'Pol offered. "The type of Shelat in the Forge is not domesticated."

"But what are they?" Trip asked.

T'Pol thought for a moment.

"The closest approximation would be a sabre-toothed large bear," T'Pol offered.

Trip shuttered involuntarily. "But we're safe up here?"

"Yes, they cannot climb," T'Pol answered as she got into her sleep sack.

Trip got up and moved toward her sitting near her head and shuffling until her head was on his thigh.

"Better?" He asked.

"Much," T'Pol said softly. "You'll wake me in a few hours?"

"As soon as my baby blues start to close over," Trip smiled down at her.

Hours later he was sitting in the dark when he heard a screeching noise below. He carefully rose and set T'Pol's head on the ground shining a light down toward the foot of their hill.

She was right, it did look like a sabre-toothed bear. She hadn't mentioned the screeching though.

"It's tracked us here," T'Pol said over his shoulder, scaring him half to death.

"Jesus, T'Pol," Trip turned to look at her startled.

"Sorry," T'Pol apologized.

"How long until it gets bored?" Trip inquired.

"Days," T'Pol replied sadly.

"Days?" Trip asked, surprised.

Then, another louder screeching started and a man appeared at the foot of their hill. Trip and T'Pol looked down amazed as the Vulcan got the Shelat to retreat.

"How's he…?"

"You are a Vulcan traveling with a human," the Vulcan man observed.

"We are," Trip replied as he stood a little taller; he wasn't sure if the man was a threat or not.

"Curious," the Vulcan man replied.

Before Trip could consult T'Pol on what to do next, she was starting to amble down the hill toward the man.

"I am T'Pol," she said with a nod.

Trip hastily followed her down the embankment and sized up the man.

"I'm Charles," Trip said, forgoing his rank and last name.

"I am Arev," the man said with a courtesy nod. "Why are you here?"

"We are following the path of Surek, much like yourself, I assume?" Trip answered.

"I am," Arev answered. "Would you like to travel the path together?"

"We would," T'Pol answered for them.

Hours later the sun was coming up and Trip was drinking another hydration pack.

"The glare is too much for your pale skin," T'Pol said as she offered him a scarf.

"I'll be fine," Trip said shaking his head.

"You will suffer second degree burns soon if you fail to cover," T'Pol said, giving him the scarf insistently.

He wrapped it around his neck and face and fixed his hat so it was farther down his forehead.

"What about you?" Trip asked.

"I won't need water for several days, my inner eyelids protect my eyes and my skin will not scorch," T'Pol explained.

"Do Vulcans have two sets of everything inside?" Trip whispered into her ear with a smirk.

"You already know we do," T'Pol answered back before she followed Arev down into a cavern.

Trip chuckled to himself and followed close behind her.

"Sand fire!" Arev yelled.

Trip looked at T'Pol confused, but when he saw her start to run he knew he had to do the same.

They ran into a cave system just as the Sand Fire hit and got inside in the knick of time plugging up the opening behind them so none could come inside.

"I know this," Arev said as he reached for the IDIC emblem between her breasts.

"Hands to yourself Arev," Trip said as he stepped between them.

"You received this from T'Les," Arev explained.

"How do you know her? Are you a Syrannite as well?" T'Pol asked over Trip's shoulder as he stood between her and Arev.

"She is in the Sanctuary," Arev replied.

"Is she safe?" T'Pol asked.

"She is," Arev answered. "I will guide you there once the storm passes."

Trip narrowed his eyes at Arev.

"Do you serve on the Starship with T'Pol?"

"I do," Trip answered, still not moving from his place of protection.

"Then you are both welcome," Arev said with a nod before he started a fire.

Hours later T'Pol was sitting with her outer thigh against Trip's listening to Arev tell some stories of Surak when the storm seemed to pick up.

"It's getting back out there," Trip said as he handed T'Pol his sleep sack. "You'll need both, it's cold in here."

T'Pol took it from him and nodded her thanks.

"You have embraced the IDIC," Arev observed.

"Excuse me?" T'Pol asked, stopping the motion of getting to the sleep sacks for warmth.

"You and Charles," Arev said as he observed them. "You are infinite diversity in infinite combinations. Exactly what Surak meant."

"I think you are…" T'Pol started.

"Are you not mated?" Arev asked.

Trip looked toward T'Pol surprised. She looked at Arev indignant.

"You have embraced more than the teachings of Surak," T'Pol commented. "It is impolite to inquire about personal relationships."

Arev just nodded. "You have just answered my question."

Trip sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.

"I think your embracing of the IDIC very encouraging for the future of our people," Arev said.

"Do you?" T'Pol asked, annoyed as she shimmied into her sacks and turned her back to him.

Just then a rock blocking the opening fell and Arev jumped up to put it back. A bolt of lightning hit him squarely and he fell back onto the ground.

"You must take it to the sanctuary," he said as he touched Trip's face with his fingers. He felt unbelievable pain and then only darkness around him.

When he woke some time later, T'Pol was wiping his forehead with a wet cloth.

"How are you feeling?"

"Was I hit as well?" Trip asked.

"No but…but he may have melded with you," T'Pol said. "It was hard to tell with the commotion."

"How's Arev?"

"Dead," T'Pol answered.

"What?" Trip asked confused as he sat up.

"Do you fell anything…different inside?" T'Pol asked.

Trip closed his eyes and felt dizzier.

"Dizzy," he replied before he slowly got up.

"You should rest and…"

"We need to get to the sanctuary," Trip said as he packed their things.

"Trip, you need…"

Trip turned and looked at her tiredly. "Please don't argue with me. I know this is what I have to do."

"You have to do?" T'Pol asked.

He didn't answer and, when all their stuff was packed, handed her a bag and started to walk out of the cave.

"Trip!" T'Pol called after him. "You are in no shape to…"

"This way," Trip called over his shoulder.

She followed him annoyed for an hour before they arrived at a strange rock formation.

"There's nothing here," she said softly. "I think you are hallucinating and…"

"Here," Trip said before he walked right toward the rock face and was absorbed by it.

Confused, T'Pol did the same thing and suddenly found herself in another cave structure.

"What…?" she started.

"Don't resist," Trip said as he walked forward into an open space.

"Trip, I don't…" T'Pol called to him.

Then, guards appeared from behind and quickly had Trip and T'Pol restrained.

XXX

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Notes: This is a continuation from the last chapter of The Forge. It picks up with Awakening and goes significantly AU from there—I'm not really sticking to the episode at all.

XXX

"Where are you from? Why are you here?" The one man demanded of Trip and T'Pol.

"We are following the path of…" T'Pol started.

"We are here to see T'Pau," Trip interrupted. "I need to speak with her."

T'Pol looked at him confused.

"You are intruders," one guard noted.

"Take me to T'Pau," Trip said in Vulcan shocking T'Pol and the guards.

"He speaks Vulcan," the guard said intrigued.

"I carry Surak's katra and you will take me to T'Pau," Trip explained in Vulcan.

"What?!" T'Pol asked, surprised.

"Take me to her, now!" Trip demanded in Vulcan, his southern drawl adding a distinct pronunciation to several words.

The guards jumped at his words. Trip's authority when he was the prisoner was shocking. T'Pol had never heard him speak Vulcan and was unsure when he'd learned and what his plan was. Claiming he carried Surak was not believable.

The guards, not sure what to do, looked toward their leader. He nodded in the affirmative and walked Trip and T'Pol down one corridor after another until they were in a large cavernous open area.

"Are you all Siranittes?" T'Pol asked.

The guards didn't answer.

"What are you doing?" She whispered to Trip.

"It's the truth," Trip said quietly as he considered her eyes. "How else would I know this place? Speak Vulcan?"

"There are a number of plausible explanations," T'Pol revealed.

"No, no there aren't T'Pol," Trip said softly.

There was something in his voice, his eyes, that told her he wasn't joking. The scenario was impossible, but somehow, she allowed her mind to sit with the idea for a moment.

Moments later, T'Pau walked into the space and Trip relaxed slightly. T'Pol was baffled by his behaviour.

"I carry Surak's katra, he travels with me, within me, and he will lead you" Trip said with confidence. His southern drawl making a mash of most of his statement.

T'Pau looked almost amused by his admission but stepped toward him.

"You are human," T'Pau said softly. "How dare you come to our spiritual house."

"Who are you to decide?' T'Pol asked, indignant.

"T'Les' daughter," T'Pau said as she turned to face T'Pol. "You know not what you speak of."

"I know that you caused the explosion," T'Pol said stepping toward T'Pau.

T'Pau looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before she spoke again.

"Your mother will be disappointed by your close-mindedness," T'Pau said.

"Where is my mother?" T'Pol asked.

"She will come to you shortly," T'Pau said casually.

"I do carry Surak, T'Pau" Trip said meeting T'Pau's eyes. "Just check."

T'Pau thought of leaving this crazy human but decided it was probably easiest to just amuse him for the time being. She placed her fingers against the side of his face. Moments later she stepped back, astounded.

"Impossible," she gasped as she looked at Trip in awe.

"Possible," Trip said clearly.

"Untie them!" T'Pau ordered the guards.

T'Pol looked at Trip like her was an entirely different person; how could this be possible?

Immediately, the guards acted and T'Pol found herself standing next to Trip looking at him with confusion.

"How?" T'Pau asked Trip.

Trip looked between T'Pol and T'Pau. "Arev carried him and when death was upon him he passed Surak to me."

"Why you?" T'Pau asked.

"Necessity it seems," Trip shrugged. "I need to pass him to you."

"Me?" T'Pau asked.

"You are meant to lead your people with Surak," Trip said softly. "I am merely a delivery person."

"Are you alright? How do you feel?" T'Pol asked Trip.

"Crowded," Trip said, honestly. "Surak is a large man in intellect and spirit."

"Many would love to touch Surak as you have," T'Pol observed as she touched his hand.

"I know," Trip smiled down at her. "I didn't ask for this. Surak found me."

"Let us do the transfer immediately," T'Pau said business-like

"Commander Tucker is dehydrated and tired," T'Pol said as she watched him carefully.

"It won't have any…"

"Not until he's rested," T'Pol insisted.

"I'm looking to get this done as soon as…" Trip started.

"It is extremely unsafe if you are not in top physical condition," T'Pol warned him.

"Fine, tomorrow," T'Pau said annoyed.

"We need someplace for him to rest," T'Pol said. "And I'd like to see my mother."

T'Pau nodded and started to walk away; they followed closely behind her and through a series of hallways.

"Your mother will be pleased to see you," T'Pau said over her shoulder.

"She sent me the map," T'Pol explained.

"I know," T'Pau said. "It was my idea. I didn't think you'd be so illogical to bring a human with you."

"It was not an illogical choice," T'Pol said. "As you can clearly see."

T'Pau had to concede that Commander Tucker was adequately carrying Surak to her.

"Commander Tucker may stay here," T'Pau said as she gestured toward a small room off the hallway.

"I will check on you soon," T'Pol told him before he walked inside, and she turned to follow T'Pau to her mother.

Minutes later she was reunited with her mother in a small alcove.

"Mother," T'Pol said as she approached. "You look well."

"You as well, my daughter," T'Les nodded. "You came alone?"

"No, Commander Tucker accompanied me," T'Pol said.

"Oh," T'Les sighed.

"Please don't start, mother," T'Pol said, annoyed.

"You brought him to our sacred place of…"

"Would you rather I came by myself? Across the Forge?" T'Pol asked.

"I would rather you didn't rely on a human so much," T'Les said quietly as she turned her back to her daughter.

"Why are you with these people?" T'Pol asked. "I want you to come back with me."

"They are following the true path," T'Les explained.

"They are militants," T'Pol hissed. "You hoped I would join you?"

"They are a peaceful people," T'Les explained. "If you just open your mind to…"

"So peaceful are these people that they caused an explosion killing Vulcans and Humans?"

"We didn't do it," T'Les explained.

"So, you say," T'Pol said annoyed.

"I am your mother," T'Les said forcefully. "I would not lie to you."

"You have lied to me," T'Pol noted. "You had many opportunities to tell me of your alliances and you chose not to."

"I couldn't trust that you wouldn't try and stop me," T'Les explained.

"You have, essentially, joined a violent cult," T'Pol said forcefully back.

The two women locked eyes for several moments before T'Pol turned away.

"I need to check on Commander Tucker," T'Pol said. "He carries Surak."

"What?" T'Les asked.

"T'Pau will explain," T'Pol said as she walked away. "I am needed elsewhere."

"T'Pol!" T'Les called to her with no effect; T'Pol walked away and didn't look back.

XXX

Trip's eyes fluttered open to a sight he wasn't sure was real. T'Pol was laying next to him on a small bed, her body pressed against his.

"T'Pol?" Trip asked, his voice hoarse.

Her eyes opened and considered his for a moment before she spoke.

"You need hydration," T'Pol said, still not moving away from him.

"You need to explain why you are laying in bed with a man when we're surrounded by Vulcans and your mother," Trip said with a confused look.

"I've had enough of those Vulcans and my mother," T'Pol said softly. "You are the only person I am interested in spending time with at this moment."

Trip wrapped an arm around her back and kissed the end of her nose.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Trip said as he started to sit up.

"Agreed," T'Pol said as she sat as well.

Trip looked at her and shook his head; "Then why?"

T'Pol rose from the bed and poured him a glass of hydration liquid.

"T'Pol?" Trip prodded.

"You are the only person I feel safe with," T'Pol said softly. "It's a lot to absorb. I need…support."

Trip walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his front. He kissed the side of her head and sighed heavily.

"I love you," he whispered softly into her hair.

He felt her soften against him and sigh.

They stood like that for a long time before he felt her pull away slightly. She then handed him the glass of hydration fluid and watched him drink it. She filled the glass again and handed it to him a second time. He didn't put up a fight and just drank the liquid down in one swift motion.

"Thank you," Trip said softly. "You take good care of me."

"We take good care of each other," T'Pol corrected him. "I need you as much as you need me. Possibly more."

Trip nodded and kissed the side of her face once more before he stepped away from her.

"Do you really think you are meant to pass on Surak?" T'Pol asked.

"I do," he nodded. "I am not his permanent home."

"It's a very dangerous proc…"

"I'm going to be fine T'Pol," Trip reassured her as he took her hand in his. "I promise."

Someone cleared a throat from the doorway to their alcove and Trip quickly dropped her hand before they both turned to see who was there.

"We are having our evening meal if you would like to join us?" T'Pau asked them.

"That is agreeable," T'Pol said before she walked toward T'Pau and out the door.

Trip started to follow but T'Pau stopped him before he could continue.

"You intrigue me," T'Pau said as she looked at him confused. "You are in a relationship with her."

Trip said nothing and just looked at her.

"You and T'Pol are…intimate," T'Pau said as she stepped toward him.

"We are close friends," Trip corrected.

"Does T'Les know?" T'Pau asked. "About your close friendship?"

"Why are you so intrigued?" Trip asked, his eyes narrowed with mistrust.

"I want to know more about the man Surak chose," T'Pau said as she touched his arm. "You intrigue me."

"And," Trip said as he moved away from her, so she was no longer touching him. "I appreciate the intrigue, but pretty soon Surak will be all yours."

"One thing we will share," T'Pau said softly. "Maybe there will be more?"

"I'm sure this is the end of anything we will ever share," Trip said clearly before he squeezed past her and out into the hallway.

XXX

"You should sleep in my room tonight," T'Les said to her daughter as they parted after the evening meal. It had been an uneventful meal with Commander Tucker communicating very little about Surak's katra. T'Pau had acted strangely and distant throughout the meal.

"I will be fine," T'Pol said softly.

"It does not look…"

"I don't care how it looks," T'Pol hissed. "It seems that is all you care about."

"You are throwing your life away for this man!"

"Says the woman living in a cave with a cult," T'Pol pointed out. "I think we need to understand, mother, that you and I do not see eye-to-eye."

"I'm not sure I know you any longer," T'Pol hissed.

"You have never attempted to know me," T'Pol countered. "Because if you did, you would understand that the only person I trust right now is him. That he is the only person that is keeping me sane in a situation where my mother is in a violent cult, he is carrying Surak's katra, and we may be in great danger."

T'Les closed her eyes and said nothing.

"Goodnight, mother," T'Pol said before she left her mother alone.

Minutes later as she walked into Trip's alcove.

"Are you preparing for sleep?" T'Pol asked as she noticed the top half of his body was uncovered.

"I'm more tired then I expected," Trip smirked at her. "Where are you staying?"

"Here," T'Pol said as she reached for the zipper to her top.

"Darlin' there's nothing more that I want but don't you think your people will…"

"They are not my people," T'Pol said as she stripped down to her undergarments. "I don't care what they think."

Trip shrugged and threw his pants in the corner of his room. "If you're fine with it then I am as well. And, to be perfectly honest, I like having you here for the protection."

"Protection?" T'Pol asked, confused.

Trip wiped his jaw and looked toward her sheepishly.

"Trip?"

"T'Pau sorta…well, she sorta made a move on me," Trip admitted reluctantly. "Now, I refused. I want you to know that I told her quite clearly I wasn't interested."

"You are an attractive male," T'Pol conceded.

"She asked if we were intimately involved," Trip added. "I want you to know that this happened. I won't keep anything from you, T'Pol."

"I know," T'Pol said softly.

"You…you don't seem bothered by this," Trip noted.

"I know you would never pursue a relationship with her," T'Pol said as she walked toward the bed. "You love me."

"I do," Trip smiled at her as he also climbed in the bed.

He wrapped his arms around her mid-section and took a large sniff of her hair.

"We'll talk with her tomorrow," Trip whispered. "She'll listen."

T'Pol snuggled in closer to him and said nothing.

"And I'll be fine," Trip said quietly.

"I know," T'Pol said quietly.

Trip kissed the back of her head and they both settled in for sleep.

XXX

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Please see previous notes. Trip and T'Pol have come together on Vulcan but the death of her mother and the discovery of the Kir'shara have caused a rift in their relationship. His shore leave after United is a reflection of that.

XXX

Trip walked the streets of Babel thinking about the recent turn of events in his life. She was "going through something that was complicated" and refused to really discuss this shift in her priorities with him. She still wanted to be a couple (he thought) but not in the way they had been. She had been not sharing with him when they had shared so much before. Koss had released her from their marriage agreement, which he thought would make things better, but it hadn't really changed her desire to focus on the Kir'shara above all else.

He had been sent on a recon mission to meet with the ambassadors that were going to finalize a trade dispute that they had started to negotiate on Enterprise. After the recent cold front from T'Pol, he was happy for a few days reprieve.

He ducked into a café and sat at a table near the window, ordering a coffee and scone for himself. He was supposed to meet Hoshi here after she did some shopping.

"Can I take this chair?" A tall woman asked him as she placed a hand on the back of the empty chair across from him.

There was one other seat at the table so Trip nodded.

"It's yours," Trip smiled up at her.

Instead of taking the seat as he had thought she would, she sat down in the chair and smiled at him.

"Well, hello," Trip said, surprised by her action.

"I'm Brianna," the woman said. "I'm covering the negotiations for JEL News."

"I'm sorry, I don't talk to…"

"I know the standard Starfleet protocol," she said as she called over the waitress.

"So, if you know it, then why are you sittin' here?" Trip asked.

"I'm sitting here, with you, because I find you incredibly attractive," Brianna said with a smile.

Trip smiled, chuckled, and sat back in his chair.

"Well, I'm flattered, but…"

"But, you're here for another night, right?" Brianna asked.

Trip looked at her surprised.

"I'm proposing that two single attractive people at some boring conference where, let's face it, basically the deal has already been brokered, have some fun," Brianna said.

"As I said before," Trip said as he called over the waitress for his bill. "I'm flattered but…"

"I hear you are quite the ladies man," Brianna said as she leaned forward. "We could have some fun."

"I'm sure we could," Trip smirked at her as the waitress approached.

"I'm not in the habit of convincing men to be with me," Brianna said with a sly smile.

"I'm sure you're not," Trip said as he rubbed his chin with his hand.

"Can I get you something?" The waitress asked.

"I'll have a latte," Brianna said. "Trip?"

"Uh, I'm good thanks," Trip said as he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You work for JEL?" Trip asked.

"For 15 years," Brianna said.

"And you aren't seeking an interview or some sensational piece for..?"

"Nope," Brianna said. "So, how about it sailor?"

"I'm flattered, but I'm not interested," said Trip. "Your beautiful and, obviously, smart but I'm not…"

"Free?" Brianna asked.

"Excuse me?" Trip asked.

"It's no secret you stayed with T'Pol on Vulcan and accompanied her on a mission to the syrannites," Brianna said.

"Feels like an interview all of a sudden," Trip said as he watched the waitress place her latte down. "I'll take our bill please."

"How gentlemanly," Brianna said as she leaned forward.

"I'm a gentleman, if nothing else," Trip sighed.

"Are you Commander T'Pol's partner?" Brianna asked. "Are you and she the first Human-Vulcan Starfleet relationship?"

"Well, there's no fraternization on Starfleet…"

"Trip, we've got documentation of at least 14 relationships on board Starfleet vessels over the last…"

"Well, then I guess you are great at digging into people's…"

"We have a witness from the syranites that says that you and Commander T'Pol spent two nights…"

"A syrannite, really?" Trip asked, annoyed. "They're co-operating with human reporters suddenly?"

The bill arrived on the table and Trip quickly took out his card and handed it back to the waitress who was tapping it.

"I think we're done here," Trip said as he started to stand.

"I'm publishing," Brianna said as she also stood. "I know of 2 other news agencies working on the story as well and I'd like to give you the opportunity to…"

"I have told you," Trip said. "Several times, that I'm not interested in any of your offers Ms."

"I am just giving you the chance to tell your side of…"

"There is no side," Trip said. "She is my friend and commanding officer. That's all."

"You'll go on record with…?"

"Yes, you can put the fact that she's my friend and commanding officer on the record," Trip said as he took his card back from the waitress.

He noted Hoshi walking towards him.

"Good day, Ms." Trip said before he walked toward Hoshi.

"Who's that?" Hoshi asked as she noted Trip leaving a woman.

"A reporter looking for gossip," Trip said.

"Gossip on who?" Hoshi asked as they walked out the door.

"Me," Trip said. "Look, let's…"

"Wait," Hoshi said as she stopped his forward motion.

"What about you?"

"Nothin'" Trip said, not meeting her eyes.

"Trip," Hoshi pleaded.

Trip shifted his feet and placed his hands on his hips.

"Trip," Hoshi asked again.

"They're apparently publishing a story about me and T'Pol," Trip said.

"What about you?" Hoshi chuckled.

"They are insinuating that we are involved," Trip said.

Hoshi laughed and smacked his arm.

"The things they come up wi…"

It was when she looked at his face that she stopped talking.

"Wait, Trip?"

Trip shifted his feet and briefly met her eyes before he looked over her shoulder.

"Trip?" Hoshi asked.

"I don't know what we are now," Trip said as he placed his hands on his hips.

"You mean you are?!" Hoshi gasped.

Trip took her by the arm and escorted her away from the café.

"Are you…you're not pulling my leg are you?" Hoshi gasped again.

"You can't say a thing," Trip cautioned her.

"Holy shit," Hoshi said with wide eyes. "Is this recent or…?"

Trip shook his head in the negative.

"How long?" Hoshi asked.

"Almost two years," Trip whispered.

"Holy fuck," Hoshi whispered.

"Well, I don't know if we're together anymore so…"

"What do you mean?" Hoshi asked.

"Ever since she got her hands on that damn Kir'Shara she's not really…we haven't talked or spent much time together," Trip said. "I think she wants to end it."

"Have you asked her?"

"She says she still wants to be a couple but that she needs time and space and…and whenever a woman says that…"

Hoshi nodded.

"It's…things were good until recently and now…now I think she's just letting me down easy," Trip said. "And, if they publish that story she's going to back away for sure."

"Do you love her?" Hoshi asked.

Trip just looked at her meaningfully.

"So, you love her," Hoshi surmised. "And had she told you…?"

"She's Vulcan," Trip interrupted.

"So, Vulcans don't…?"

"I know she cares for me a lot, but her damn logic and commitment to her culture will override any feelings she may…"

"I don't think you give her enough credit," Hoshi said.

"I hope you're right," Trip sighed. "Come on, we better get back to…"

"This is HUGE Trip," Hoshi said.

"And you'll keep this between us?" Trip asked as they started to walk away.

"I promise," Hoshi said as she placed a hand over her heart.

"Thanks, I think I just needed to talk with someone about…about all this fucked up shit."

"For what it's worth," Hoshi said. "I hope it works out."

Trip nodded. "Thank Hosh."

XXX  
TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Please see previous notes. This chapter takes place after the Aenar. There's only a chapter or two to go of this story. Sorry for the long wait between sections but I should have this finished soon. Thank you everyone for your patience. Enjoy! Let me know what you think!**

XXX

Trip Tucker sat on his parents back deck looking out onto the river behind their house. It was chilly, only 9 degrees Celsius, but it was a place where no one was likely to bother him. Standard protocol when transferring ships was a 24 hour leave between ships. So, here he was, at his parent's place for what was supposed to be a party for him. His parents had managed to pull together as many friends and family that could be reached for his leave and arrange this for him. He was grateful and flattered that everyone had come out for him, but really what he wanted was time alone.

The story had broke on JEL News insinuating that he and T'Pol were more than friends and work mates. Several news agencies followed and Starfleet, to appease public scrutiny, agreed to an investigation into all breaches of fraternization protocol. T'Pol had suggested they back off further and, after his reaction to her trying the prototype for the drone, Trip realized he couldn't work with her with their relationship so in flux. So, he had requested a transfer. If she wanted space he'd give her space to study her damn Kir'Shara and he could focus on his work.

She had asked if she was the reason for his transfer and coolly he'd replied it wasn't all about her. In truth, he was upset about her choice of her culture over him. She had insisted that the two were not at odds, but he couldn't help but feel he had lost the battle to her bible. She hadn't asked for more information about his transfer and had just allowed him to leave. She'd only attended his going away party for all of ten minutes and ignored him most of the time. If she was upset about his choice, she hadn't exhibited any signs.

"There you are!" Trip's brother said as he walked out the back door.

The noise from inside followed him. There was laughter and music before the door shut behind him.

"Sorry, just a little tired," Trip said as he leaned heavily on his knees and rubbed his hands together.

"That's it, is it?" Albert said as he sat down next to Trip on the bench.

"Yep," Trip nodded.

"Nothing to do with that Vulcan woman?" Albert asked as he leaned back against the house.

"We're just…"

"Friends," Albert finished for him. "Yeah, I've heard you say that before."

Trip chuckled and sat back, leaning his head against the wall as well.

"So, it serious?" Albert asked.

"It was," Trip said.

"And now you're transferring to a different ship…"

"That I am," Trip sighed.

"Because things went south with her?" Albert asked.

Trip said nothing for a long time.

"Is she the one?" Albert asked.

Trip nodded and said nothing.

Albert and he sat for a long time in silence.

"You know, things weren't so straight forward with Craig," Albert said.

Trip turned and looked at him surprised.

"Remember when I came back from Ireland for six months?" Albert asked.

"You said you were applying for some positions State-side," Trip said confused. "You applied to Stanford and…"

"Craig said he didn't want kids," Albert said softly. "I came back thinking we didn't have a future."

"So, your story that you were looking for work here and setting things up for when he could…"

"We weren't sure if we had a future," Albert said. "I was planning one without him."

"Shit," Trip sighed.

"It was one of the most difficult times in my life," Albert admitted. "We spoke little, argued a lot, and I had to consider a future without him. It was not a future I wanted, but I also wanted children and…"

"And you had to choose," Trip said. "What if she chooses her culture, her…logic over a very illogical relationship with me."

Albert nodded. "It's possible."

"Wow, you are a ray of fucking sunshine," Trip chuckled.

"Craig came around and now we have Liam," Albert smiled over at him. "Maybe she will too?"

"That's the best you can do for advice?" Trip asked.

"I'm sorry, but that is the best I can do," Albert said as he slapped his brother's leg. "And if she doesn't come around…then I guess it wasn't meant to be."

Trip turned and looked at his brother appraisingly.

"Would you feel that way with Craig didn't come around?" Trip asked.

"No, I'd be devastated," Albert admitted. "And you will be too, if it happens. But you don't want to be in a holding pattern forever, do you?"

Trip shook his head in the negative.

Albert stood from his seat and nodded toward the door.

"Come inside and enjoy he party," Albert offered.

"Naw, I'll…" Trip sighed.

"Trip, life goes on," Albert said. "You may not be home for months or another year…spend time with the people who love you."

Trip dropped his head to his chest and nodded.

"You're right," he said softly. "I'll be in soon."

Albert nodded and left his brother alone.

Trip pulled out his comm and hit the button titled T'Pol. It went right to her voice mail and he chuckled; if course it went right to her voice mail.

"Hi, it's me," Trip said into the voice recorder. "Last night when I said that my transfer had nothing to do with you…I wasn't exactly being honest. I…T'Pol, I don't know what to…no, that's a lie. I do. I did transfer mainly because of you. I'm in love with you darlin', and each day that you pull away from me…well, it breaks my heart a little. I transferred to Columbia to give you space to study your culture and your beliefs and I hope, once you're ready, you can tell me if you think we have a future. Until then, I'll be on Columbia giving you your space and thinking about what I want for my future."

"To send message press 1. To delete message press 2. To re-record message press 3," the voice mail said.

Trip pressed 2 and hung up his comm. He sighed and dropped his head in to his hands. Telling her all those things wasn't going to do either of them any good. She knew where he was, where he stood, and what he wanted. He didn't need to put it in a message.

Trip pocketed his comm and got up. He walked into the party and enjoyed his short leave with his family. Tomorrow he'd be on Columbia and, hopefully, too busy setting her up to think about T'Pol.

XXX  
TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Please see previous notes. A lot has happened between the last chapter and this one, but this was the only shore leave I could fit in! So, here we are just before Demons on shore leave with a newly re-united and dedicated Trip and T'Pol. They have discovered their bond, she's told him she wants him to stay on Enterprise, and he's asked for a transfer back. Whew! The line where Jon tells Trip to 'clap louder' always intrigued me. He seemed ticked off at Trip and I have always wondered why. Now I get to invent why! I'll fill in some of the back story so you haven't missed much. Only a couple of chapters to go in this story. Enjoy! Let me know what you think!**

XXXX

T'Pol sat in the booth of the hotel pub thinking that joining everyone for a drink may have been a bad idea. She, after all, rarely drank and everyone in her company seemed to be making up for her sobriety. Ever since the incident years ago at a party Hoshi had thrown T'Pol had stayed as far away from alcohol as possible.

"You having fun?" Trip asked as he sat down next to her and nudged her shoulder with his own.

"You are," T'Pol said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Look," Trip said as he leaned in to whisper to her. "We can leave in another hour."

"We can't go anywhere," T'Pol reminded him. "With Starfleet looking into all fraternization reports of…"

"I've got it figured out," Trip said with a smirk.

"Should I even ask?" T'Pol inquired.

"Hoshi's assigned the room next to mine," Trip said as he looked around for anyone nearby then handed her a card. "Give me yours."

"Excuse me?" T'Pol asked.

"She's on the books in room 2345, you're on the books in room 2376," Trip said. "You're going to give me your card and switch rooms with her."

"I still don't see how…" T'Pol said as she secretly handed Trip her card.

"The rooms are joined," Trip said. "Mine and hers. And with your cycle…"

"My needs should be finished in a day, I can…"

"That's not what you said last night when I worked overtime," Trip chuckled. "This yearly horny cycle is something I can get used to."

"It's called the Vek Narr and it's to prepare me, us, for my Pon Farr when it occurs," T'Pol said. "It's completely normal for a Vulcan woman to have unusually high needs for one week out of the year which ends with our only menstrual cycle of the year."

"Well, our bond is telling me that your needs aren't satisfied and…"

"Trip, we've been together and incredibly careful since your return to Enterprise. It's far easier to carry on as we have on a ship. Why risk…?"

"Just trust me, okay?" Trip asked her.

"Fine," T'Pol said softly.

He got up from the spot next to her and went out onto the limited dance floor to dance with Hoshi and Travis. At some point, she surmised, he was giving her the card.

"What do you think about all this pomp?" Jon asked her as he sat next to her.

"I think that the crew of Enterprise will finally get their accolades," T'Pol said. "Well deserved accolades."

"I hope so," Jon said before he reached for his drink.

"Hope?" T'Pol inquired.

"I am always a little leery of what Starfleet promises and who they reward," Jon said as he looked into his drink. "My father spent many years waiting for accolades."

"And you don't want to do the same," T'Pol surmised.

"I'm more of a realist," Jon admitted.

"Minister Samuels seems to be a supporter of Starfleet and exploration," T'Pol said.

"He's also a politician," Jon chuckled. "He supports what's popular."

T'Pol nodded. Human politicians seemed to be very fickle.

"You're not going to join him on the dance floor?" Jon asked as he looked at his best friend dancing freely with other crew members.

"No," T'Pol said.

"Worried about the fraternization inquiry?" Jon asked.

"That is partly the reason," T'Pol said.

"And the rest?"

"Vulcans only dance at festivals and child naming ceremonies," T'Pol said. "And, in the latter, it is only the parents."

"I'd like to see that," Jon said with a smirk. "Vulcans dancing."

"It's prescribed steps, not…free flowing like human dancing," T'Pol said softly.

"Why am I not surprised," Jon chuckled.

T'Pol looked at him with a furrowed brow.

Jon sat back.

"I see things have been much better between you and Trip this last month," Jon said.

"We have been very careful to…"

"That's not what I'm implying," Jon cut her off. "You two seem finally, happy."

"I would agree with that assessment," T'Pol said. "We finally, as humans say, got our priorities straight."

"And you've made each other a priority over the Kir'Shara and…"

"Infinite Diversity is part of the Kir'Shara and that diversity means opening our minds, and our hearts to new and different experiences," T'Pol said. "Bringing our hearts and minds in alignment."

Jon nodded.

"He is my mate," T'Pol said. "The bond…"

"The one that kept him from oogling…"

"Yes, that one," T'Pol said.

"So, you're in each other's heads?" Jon inquired.

"Not as you probably imagine," T'Pol clarified. "We can share dreams. Alarming thoughts and intense emotions are conveyed telepathically. But until the bond is solidified, that's about all we share."

"Solidified?" Jon asked, confused.

"Through a Vulcan marriage ceremony and mating ritual," T'Pol said, watching Trip get approached by a couple of females who were standing close and obviously flirting with him.

"Are you two talking marriage?" Jon asked.

"Not yet, but that is the path we are on," T'Pol said as she reached for her mineral water.

"Well," Jon smiled at her, trying to temper his feelings of jealousy. "That's…that's great T'Pol. I'm happy for you and Trip. Really, happy."

"Thank you," T'Pol nodded as she watched Trip move away from the women and back toward the bar. "I think it's time for me to retire for the night. Good night Captain."

"Get some sleep T'Pol," Jon said as he smiled up at her. "We've got a long day with a bunch of Ambassadors tomorrow."

T'Pol nodded and left the pub promptly to go to get her bag from the concierge and go to her room upstairs. Her new room, apparently.

XXX

Jon walked with his security guard to his room. At least being forced to have 24 hour security meant the guy could carry his bag.

"Thank you," Jon said as he reached for the bag.

"Sir, I should clear your room before," the guard started as he reached for his own card to swipe open Jon's door.

"I'm good soldier, stand down," Jon said as he placed a hand over the mans.

"It's common protocol to…"

"And, no offence, but I didn't want, nor do I need security at a Starfleet hotel," Jon said. "But here we are, and I'd appreciate it if you can be as unobtrusive as possible."

The guard nodded and stepped back.

Jon swiped his card and walked into the mainly dark room, breathing a sigh of relief that he was finally rid of the guard.

"Captain!" T'Pol gasped as she scurried off this bed and pulled a pillow in front of herself.

Jon jumped back and placed his hands up. He had noticed that she was in a very tiny set of lacey burgundy panties with matching bra. She, apparently, had been sprawled across his bed waiting for someone that wasn't him.

"T'Pol, what are you…?"

"I've made a mistake," T'Pol said as she started to back away from the bed, holding the pillow securely in front of her. "I apologize for invading…"

"You thought this was Trip's room?" Jon asked as she stepped toward her.

T'Pol stopped mid step and nodded. "This was a mistake and I can't apologize enough for…"

"Wait, hold on!" Jon said. She stopped her retreat and stood there in her panties with a pillow blocking her for propriety.

"I thought they purposefully placed you and Trip as far away from each other they could," Jon said. "I know because he was complaining about it in the Men's Room."

"They did," T'Pol said. "He discovered that Hoshi's room was next to his and was misguided in thinking they were joined. I entered this room believing it was his, as it was the only door joining mine."

"So, he arranged…does Hoshi…?"

"Yes, she is aware of our relationship and, apparently, complicit in this misguided…" T'Pol said before she took another step back.

Jon would be lying if he said he never wanted T'Pol laying like that in his bed, but she wasn't his, and she was laying in his bed waiting for another man.

Just then there was a knock at Jon's door. Jon looked at the sightlines and realized T'Pol would not be able to get to the connecting door with her dignity in check quickly. It would involve rounding the bed and crossing the room. No one could see her from his door.

"I'll get rid of whoever it is and then turn my back so you can…"

"Thank you," T'Pol said softly.

Jon walked to the door and opened it to see Trip on the other side.

"He's clear," Jon told the guard before he allowed Trip to step forward and into his room.

Jon shut the door quickly, blocking Trip's view of T'Pol until he was securely inside. He then stepped to the side.

"T'Pol?!" Trip exclaimed.

T'Pol turned ten shades of green at the circumstance she'd been in.

"What the hell are you…? I felt alarm across the bond and…"

"You said the rooms were connected," T'Pol steamed. "I gained entry to this room thinking it was yours, as you had planned, only to invade the Captain's room and place myself in a compromising situation."

"I thought ours were joined but Malcolm was surprised when I broke into his room," Trip said as he walked toward her. "It was a like a fire alarm was going off in my head."

"I am wearing little clothing and…"

"Well, lets get you to your room. Captain, do you mind?" Trip asked, asking the Captain to turn his back. "Sorry about this."

"You make my life interesting, Trip," Jon chuckled as he turned around.

"Captain I am sorry for any offense I cau…"

"T'Pol it's been a long time since I walked in on a scantily clad women. And despite the fact that you weren't here for me, it was still…nostalgic."

Trip walked T'Pol to her room and shut the door. He could feel the adrenaline rush across their bond feeding into her need and he knew he had one more favor to ask of his friend and Captain.

"Uh, Jon," Trip said as he walked toward his friend sheepishly.

"You better exit through my door or the security guard may report…"

"Yeah, about that," Trip said as he started to turn red. "You mind if I exit in an hour?"

"Excuse me?" Jon asked, his brow furrowing.

"Do you know anything about Vulcan menstrual cycles?" Trip asked, trying to broach the topic.

"I can't say I do," Jon said as he moved over to sit on his bed. "But I have the feeling you are about to educate me on the subject."

"Once a year Vulcan women get their period, for a week," Trip said. "Unlike Earth women it's only once, and pretty intense with cramps and…"

"I don't think I need more details then that," Jon said as he held up a hand.

"Well, the week before that happens, they get incredibly horny," Trip said as he took a deep breath. "Now, when they're single, they are satisfied with manual or technical help."

"I am learning more than I'd like about Vulcan females tonight," Jon sighed as he rubbed at his forehead.

"Okay, cutting to the chase," Trip sighed as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Thank you," Jon sighed.

"She's not single anymore, and as a partially bonded female she requires my assistance to satisfy…"

"You need to have sex before you leave her for the night," Jon interrupted.

"Well, that's kinda the short version, yes," Trip grimaced.

"And with our rooms joined and the committee looking into fraternization…"

"I need it to seem like we had a couple of drinks and then I leave your room in about an hour," Trip said.

"Fine," Jon said, as if this night couldn't get worse. T'Pol tells him she and Trip will marry, he finds her in her lacy underthings on his bed, and now they're going to be having sex in the room next to him. He was batting a thousand tonight.

"We'll keep it quiet and try and be quick," Trip said as he walked toward the door.

Jon dropped his head to his chest. He changed into his pajamas and poured himself a large scotch. He tried not to think about the one moan he heard followed by Trip shushing her. He tried not to think about what was, almost silently, happening on the other side of the door. He tried not to think about her curves in those panties, her breasts swelling out of her bra, or her legs that went on for miles. He tried not to think about all the places Trip was touching that he never would. Jon tried to not think about a lot as he sat there drinking glass after glass of scotch over the next 40 minutes.

Then, the door opened and Trip stepped through as if he had just walked into his office to file a report.

"Here," Jon said as he nodded toward a glass of scotch sitting on the table across from him.

Trip walked over and took it back in one gulp.

"Everything good?" Jon asked, not sure what the protocol among friends was in this scenario.

"She's asleep," Trip said as he placed down the glass.

Trip wasn't about to tell him that T'Pol's period started while they were in their last act and that her Vek Narr was now complete. That this next week would be horrible for T'Pol for bleeding, cramps, emotions, bloating and all the other joys of menstruation on a Vulcan scale. That seven days of sexual pleasure were followed by, what he could only surmise, was the Vulcan equivalent for penance for that pleasure.

Jon waved a hand in the air, not wanting anymore information.

"Thanks for the drink and for…for understanding about T'Pol," Trip said. "She's humiliated by the circumstance in which you found her, and I'd appreciate it is you just went on as normal and didn't…"

"It didn't happen, this whole night didn't happen," Jon said as he took the last swig of his last drink. He was inebriated now, and it was after one in the morning. He needed to get some sleep if he was to soldier through tomorrow.

"Thanks Jon," Trip said before he walked toward Jon's door and let himself out.

XXXX

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Notes: Please see previous notes. Again, shore leave is hard to come by, so we're dealing with Elizabeth's death here. All of the Vulcan menstruation cycle info is created by me and not canon in any way. One more chapter to go until we wrap this one up. I have enjoyed filling in and imagining some shore leave for Trip and T'Pol. I hope you have liked the journey as well! Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

XXX

He looked across the room at T'Pol standing with Craig and sighed. She'd taken to him like no other, maybe there was something to be said about being an outsider in the Tucker clan; Craig knew what she felt like. In this gathering of too many Tuckers T'Pol and Craig must have felt overwhelmed.

She was numb from the death of their daughter and he hadn't done much to help her. He had wanted to but was dealing with so much of his own pain he felt he may just make hers worse. His pain was so deep and so powerful and so filled with hate he didn't want to overwhelm her tenuous hold on her own emotions. So, he'd stayed away.

In the days that followed Elizabeth's death they had both retreated to their rooms, occasionally checking in on the other through the bond but not physically. The one time he'd gone to her room to tell her about Phlox's findings had been the only time, besides walking her there after Elizabeth was gone, and picking her up for the service that Trip had been around her.

He knew a better man would have held her, even though she didn't want to be held. A better man would have stayed with her, sleeping in a chair watching over her so she felt safe and loved. A better man would have done whatever it took to support a mother who lost her child. But learning about Elizabeth and losing Elizabeth had happened so quickly. He'd barely got used to being a dad before he wasn't one any longer. But in that short time, he'd made hard and important plans for his family; plans that would never come to fruition.

"I've made up a room upstairs for you and T'Pol," his mother said kindly.

"Mama, you don't…"

"Of course I do," Elise Tucker said as she pulled him into a hug. "I know I keep telling you how sorry I am, but I really am so sorry, Trip. When I lost Lizzy I'd at least had time with her."

"I know mama," Trip said.

"But when I lost a baby, it felt so deves…"

"Wait, you lost a baby?" Trip asked.

"Between you and Jake," she said as she met his eyes. "He was seven months old when I miscarried."

"I didn't know that," Trip said as he looked at his mother with concern.

"We don't talk about those things when we're blessed with so many healthy children," Elise said softly. "He was a still birth."

"So, I almost had another brother?" Trip asked, surprised.

"Albert, you, Eddie, Jake and Lizzy," Elise said. "We named him Edward."

"I'm so sorry mama," Trip said as he hugged her close.

"You need to tell her that as well," Elise said. "I've seen you two, and unless you do something the distance will just grow."

Trip pulled back and looked at his mother. "She's aching for you."

"Mama, she's a Vulcan and they…"

"She a mother who has lost her child, Trip," Elise said as she looked toward T'Pol. "Human or Vulcan, the worst thing that she could ever imagine has happened to her."

"I hurt so much and I've got so much anger," Trip said as he too looked at T'Pol as she stepped from the room. "I don't want to burden her with…"

"Love is never a burden, Trip," Elise said before she hugged him in close.

XXX

"Let me get that for you," Hoshi said when she noticed T'Pol's hand shaking so severely she could barely hold the tea pot.

"Thank you," T'Pol said as she sat on a nearby chair.

They were in a small alcove with a tea station set up, a small reprieve from the busy wake for her daughter.

"Have you seen Phlox?" Hoshi asked. "I'm sure he's got something for anxiety and…"

"It's just Vek Sarr," T'Pol sighed.

"Menstruation?" Hoshi asked quietly. "That is the correct translation, right?"

"Yes," T'Pol said as she took the cup of tea from Hoshi. "I forgot you knew Vulcan for a moment."

"Because it's private?" Hoshi inquired.

T'Pol nodded before she sipped her tea.

"Do you need anything to help with cramps? I imagine with everything going on you packed little and…"

"Vek Sarr only happens once a year and Vulcans are taught to manage the pain with their minds but with Elizabeth, I have done a poor job of pain management," T'Pol admitted. "I have not meditated since we went onto the mining colony."

"T'Pol, that was almost a week ago," Hoshi said softly.

"I know," T'Pol said as she curled her knees up to her chest.

"Peppermint tea helps with muscle cramps," Hoshi supplied. "And I can ask Mrs. Tucker if she has a hot water bottle or…"

"I'm fine," T'Pol said quietly as she rested her head on her knee.

"Does Trip…?" Hoshi asked.

T'Pol nodded silently.

"I'm just thinking in these circumstances, some drugs aren't such a bad thing," Hoshi said softly.

T'Pol said nothing in return.

Just then Trip walked into the Alcove, his large frame taking up what space was left.

"T'Pol is not well and I was suggesting that Phlox may have…"

Trip felt her forehead and looked at her clammy pallor. He crouched down in front of her and looked into her eyes.

"Darlin, I think you need to rest," Trip said softly as she tried to project reassurance across their bond.

"It is rude to…"

"I don't give a flying fuck what's rude," Trip said as he stood and gestured for her to also stand. "Come on."

She curled herself into a tighter ball and ignored him

"T'Pol?" Trip asked, surprised and worried.

"It's the cramps," Hoshi whispered to him.

"Cramps?" Trip asked, confused. Then it dawned on him, she had her period! Christ, it was the worst week of the year for her and it coincided with finding out they had a daughter, being taken hostage, having her life threatened, and losing her daughter. "Shit."

He immediately left and walked to his mother's linen closet. He knew she always had an instant hot/cold pack at the ready for grandchildren. He grabbed it, twisted it to the right to make it hot and returned to T'Pol.

"Trip?" Hoshi asked, her voice pissed off. She was made that he's forgotten about T'Pol's state and then left her as soon as he realized it.

"Put this on your lower belly," Trip said as he handed her the pack.

T'Pol did as she was told.

"Are you having trouble walking?" Trip asked.

"I should be fine in a few…" T'Pol started.

"Her hand was shaking so badly she couldn't pour tea," Hoshi interjected.

"Well, that does it," Trip said as he took off his suit jacket and leaned down to put his one arm under her knees and his other arm across her back.

"What are you doing?" T'Pol asked, annoyed. "I am perfectly capable of…"

Before she could finish, he had hoisted her up into his arms and was carrying her out of the alcove and toward the stairs. The house almost fell completely silent, if not for the country music softly playing in the background, as everyone watched the man carry the woman, as if there was a threshold, before them.

"Trip?" Elise asked from the foot of the stairs as he walked up them and T'Pol buried her face in his shoulder.

"She's exhausted mama," Trip said. "I'm just going to get her in for a nap and then I'll be back."

"You don't have to…" T'Pol started.

"I want to," Trip said as he studied her face. "I like to."

He walked into his old bedroom and placed her gingerly on the bed before he kicked the door shut with his foot.

He watched her curl into a ball on the bed and sighed. He'd really fucked this up royally; forgetting that she had her crazy Vulcan period this week.

Trip sat down on the bed and took one of her shoes off at a time and placed them on the floor. He then reached for the back of her navy dress and undid the zipper at the back exposing her too thin back. He now questioned whether she had eaten since Elizabeth died.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice weak.

"Getting you into something more comfortable," Trip said softly as he pulled one shoulder down then the other and slowly peeled the dress from her torso and then pulled it down her legs. He removed her stockings and her bra before he slipped one of his old soft bamboo shirts over her shoulders and pulled it down her body until it wrapped around her tucked knees.

He took one of his mama's quilts off the chair and draped it carefully over her body.

"I'm so sorry," he said softly as he rubbed up and down her back. "For a lot of things, like losing Elizabeth and…"

"You were not respon…"

"I know, but it doesn't make me feel any better that our daughter is gone," Trip sighed as he started to do circles on her back.

T'Pol nodded and said nothing in return.

"I'm also sorry that I didn't help you these last few days, didn't stay with you, console you or…"

"I also didn't console you," T'Pol pointed out.

Trip nodded. "I know, but I should have been the one who…"

"It is in the past," T'Pol said softly as she closed her eyes.

"Yeah well, I'm hoping, starting now, I can be better," Trip said softly. "You deserve better."

"Trip, you also lost a child," T'Pol said. "My pain is no more…"

"I beg to differ," Trip said as he placed a hand on her hip. "You are her mother and that…that is different. I loved her, god, I loved her with all of my heart. But T'Pol you…"

"I'm fine," she said, her voice meek.

Trip knew she wasn't, and also knew he had to get back to the guests at the wake. At least all the ambassadors and Starfleet officials didn't come to his parent's house afterwards and just stayed for the official part of the service. But he couldn't stay up here all afternoon, even if he wanted to.

He lay down behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, taking hold of the heat pad from her and keeping it firm against her abdomen. In that moment, holding that against her stomach while she was in pain, it felt like they had physically had and lost the child.

"I love you," Trip whispered into her ear.

"I know," T'Pol said quietly back.

"Is there something Vulcan that you feel needs to be done for her that we have missed in all this?" Trip asked. "I mean, the service was led by my parent's minister and she's buried in a graveyard with a bunch of my relatives."

T'Pol said nothing for a long time and her even breathing seemed to indicate she was sleeping. He, truthfully, didn't want to go back downstairs. He wanted to stay with her, but the good Southern boy in him knew not going back was bad manners.

"She didn't have a naming ceremony," T'Pol said softly.

"What's that?" Trip asked.

"It's where we announce her official name to our relatives and close friends," T'Pol explained. "We've named her, and she died before we could…"

"Would you like that for her?" Trip asked.

T'Pol thought for a long moment. "I would."

"What's involved?" Trip asked as he nuzzled the back of her head.

"You'll need to learn some Vulcan and a dance," T'Pol said quietly.

"A dance?" Trip inquired, surprised.

"We, as her parents, need to do it," T'Pol said as she turned slightly to see him.

"I'd do anything for you and Elizabeth, darlin'" Trip said with a smile. "I loved her and my love for you is fierce. So, whatever you need, I'll do it."

T'Pol clasped his hand in hers and kissed it. "I love you, Trip."

Trip felt some tears start to form in the corner of his eye and a smile creep across his face. He'd been waiting for years to hear those words come from her mouth. And now, on the day they buried their daughter she had said it. In all of this sadness she finally said it.

"Those are the best words…" Trip said as he wiped at his one eye.

"But haven't you always known? My love for you is fierce as well," T'Pol said honestly. Knowing that her emotions were raw and open.

Trip closed his eyes.

"I have known, but there were also moments where I doubted it and…and I guess, being human, I just needed to hear it from your lips," Trip said softly.

She turned in his arms and gave him a rare smile.

"I will not say them often, but it is always the feeling in my heart," T'Pol said. "When we are fully bound, the words will be unnecessary but, if you need them, I will say them."

Trip pulled her against him and allowed her head to rest on his chest.

"Every once in a while will do darlin," Trip said with a smile. "But for now, let's sleep."

"All of your family…" T'Pol said, worried.

"You are my family," Trip said softly as he settled into her embrace.

XXX

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Notes: Please see previous notes. I want to thank everyone for coming on this lovely journey with me. It's been incredibly fun inventing shore leaves for them and seeing where their relationship goes. Here is the final chapter—it's post series and in the future. It's also short but I think just what we need—hopefully you agree. Let me know what you think and enjoy!**

XXX

Trip shifted the collar of his robe and looked again at himself in the mirror. He hoped he had all of the words right, it had been years since he had thought about them. It was proving to be one of the happiest days of his life and he needed to not screw this up for T'Pol.

"You ready?" Jon asked as he walked into the room. "It's hotter than hell out there and we've moved it, for the sake of the humans, under an awning and turned on the cooling fans."

"I told T'Pol…" Trip started.

"Well, she finally agreed," Jon smacked Trip on the back.

"We better get out there before Soval and your mother start debating the necessity of…"

"Yep, heard it all before," Trip said as he smacked Jon on the back and walked with him toward the ceremony.

"Hoshi help you with the pronunciation?" Jon asked.

"Yeah, we've been on a few video calls," Trip said. "I can't look at her or any Vulcan during the service because I'll only see them wincing at the way I'm hacking the language."

"Trip?" T'Pol asked as she approached him and handed him their son.

"I'm read as I ever will be," Trip smiled down at his son and kissed the top of his head. "It's been a few years, but I think I got it. This is what you get for marrying a human."

"My human," T'Pol said softly as she met his eyes.

"You hear that son?" Trip asked as he looked down at his sleeping newborn child.

"I'll see you three outside," Jon said as he leaned down and smiled at the sleeping baby.

It was his naming ceremony and all of Trip's family had come to Vulcan for the service. It had taken over a year for them to successfully get pregnant but the result had been a beautiful and perfect baby boy who had been born, funnily, on their second wedding anniversary.

"Ready little man?" Trip asked his boy.

"He will sleep through the entire ceremony," T'Pol said softly as she thought of their last ceremony 4 years ago for their daughter Elizabeth. She thought of her frequently but, at times like this, she thought of her more.

Trip kissed the side of her face and walked with her toward the service where they would complete a prescribed dance, recite some hopes and dreams for their son in Vulcan, and finally, tell everyone his name: Lucas Tucker. There would be a lovely vegetarian lunch afterwards and that night, they would host a more 'human' party for his family before they all left to return to Earth tomorrow. It would also be their opportunity to tell everyone that they had taken different jobs with Starfleet, jobs that would bring them to Earth, Australia to be more specific, to work and raise their family.

XXX

"He's perfect," Trip said as they both looked down at their sleeping boy. They were now settled in Australia and he had started his job. T'Pol was still on parental leave for another year and seemed to be enjoying every moment of motherhood with Lucas.

As children go, he presented more Vulcan than human. He had the ears and the brow, the quiet demeanor and a look about him that was…knowledgeable. Trip, honestly didn't care if he was more her than him, he was just happy to have a healthy child. He'd have an entire brood of Vulcan children if that's what she wanted.

"He's ours," T'Pol said. "Not perfect, but ours."

Lucas was now six months old and T'Pol still found herself rising several times a night to just look at him while he slept. Sometimes, she woke to an empty bed because her husband was doing just the same. It was difficult with him being six months old, as that was the age Elizabeth died. It had taken them a long time to recover from her loss. They came together after the service and hadn't parted since; living on board Enterprise as a quiet couple without pomp or circumstance. And now, living as a family in Darwin without pomp or circumstance.

"He needs a sibling," T'Pol said as she watched him shift in his sleep.

"He does, does he?" Trip asked with a raised eyebrow, surprised.

"I believe so," T'Pol said as she stood and looked at Trip. "Do you agree?"

"Well," Trip said as he placed his arms around her waist and pulled him a little closer. "I think I like the practice before we hit the clinic."

"You get a great deal of 'practice'" T'Pol said sarcastically.

Trip started to pull her from their son's room.

"Yes, I enjoy the practice with you," Trip smirked as they walked from the room.

T'Pol allowed her husband to pull her back toward their bedroom. He was a very human man, emotional, intelligent, sexy and thoughtful. He frequently left her presents in random places. He told her everyday how much he loved her. He was a thoughtful and attentive father. And finally, he was the man who taught her that she shouldn't be afraid of her emotions and that, in the right relationship, they were beneficial. Shore leaves were finished, now that they were on land, but they didn't need they any longer; they had all they needed here.

XXX

THE END


End file.
